In December 2021, as the rest of Biglaw started trying to figure out how to forge a post-COVID hybrid work schedule to get folks back in the office, Quinn Emanuel went the other way. Every U.S. lawyer, “from first-year associates to partners,” could work from anywhere in the country, indefinitely. “Our lawyers should work from wherever they do their best work,” John Quinn explained at the time. It was the natural and logical extension of the firm’s earlier experiment with “work from anywhere week” starting back in 2014.
Alas, in 2026, the Work From Anywhere policy is a tad more complicated. Quinn attorneys can still work from anywhere, but the policy includes a significant shift in tone, having gone from “work from wherever they do their best work” to the new mantra “we are at our best when we are together.”
At a time when most Biglaw firms have beat a retreat from their hybrid work arrangements, Quinn is not ending remote work, but it does seem to be putting a little extra weight on the scale toward convincing lawyers to come back to the office. And as part of that, the “indefinitely” has morphed into a mostly:
WFA attorneys must work on-site at their home office for a minimum of three days at least two times per calendar year.
Six days a year is not a huge ask. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine a lawyer schedule that wouldn’t have brought them back into the office for at least a couple weeks a year just for meetings. But it’s notable that the firm has formalized a change after years of a hands-off approach.
The fine print on eligibility has changed as well. Back in 2021, the policy covered first-years too, but now associates need “at least two years of post-law school experience,” before taking advantage of the plan. Beyond that, all candidates looking to work from anywhere must first “work on site in a US QE office for at least one year.”
If there’s been any takeaway from the COVID era, it’s that about half the country is willing to pretend a deadly disease doesn’t exist as long as conspiracy theorists tell them it’s true. And if there’s been a second takeaway from the COVID era, it’s that training matters. Young professionals generally have proven behind on basic skills, and junior lawyers understand they desperately need to build the soft skills that really only develop with in-person work.
And some don’t even understand how much help they need.
Attorneys can excel working remotely if they already understand what the work is all about. But until they do, they’re better off in an environment where they can pick up the lessons they need.
“The WFA policy has been tremendously successful, and we’re proud of the flexibility our culture affords,” Andy Rossman explained. “These adjustments are intended to connect participants even more closely to the firm and set them up for continued success.”
WFA status may be renewed for two additional one year terms, for a total program participation of three years. Execom may, in its sole discretion, renew an attorney’s WFA status beyond three years.
This reads like a big departure from “indefinitely,” but if you can’t start the program until your third year, and you get to the beginning of your sixth year still performing at a high level… they’re going to extend it.
Participation in the WFA program may affect an attorney’s mentorship and relationship-building opportunities, which can in turn impact contributions to the Firm’s culture and business development. Accordingly, the Firm may consider WFA status as one of several legitimate business factors when determining discretionary bonuses or compensation awards.
Check that… they’ll either extend it or they’re telling you that you need to be coming in because partnership requires a couple years of networking. And if you aren’t performing at a high level at that point, it’s probably time to look elsewhere anyway.
Current participants are “grandfathered and exempt” from the three-year limit, and the ones who never worked on site are excused from the one-year requirement too. This appears to be about making sure the next generation of Quinn attorneys — either coming in from law school or moving over from another firm — learn the Quinn way in an office setting first.
This is still the best deal in Biglaw for any lawyer that values flexibility. If you can do your job, you can do it anywhere. But it looks like even the most generous out-of-office policy has to bend a bit to allow the firm to accomplish all its goals.
Earlier: Quinn Emanuel Will Allow Lawyers To Work Remotely, Indefinitely, From Anywhere In The Country
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter or Bluesky if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.
The post Quinn Emanuel’s ‘Work From Anywhere’ Policy Scaled Back appeared first on Above the Law.
In December 2021, as the rest of Biglaw started trying to figure out how to forge a post-COVID hybrid work schedule to get folks back in the office, Quinn Emanuel went the other way. Every U.S. lawyer, “from first-year associates to partners,” could work from anywhere in the country, indefinitely. “Our lawyers should work from wherever they do their best work,” John Quinn explained at the time. It was the natural and logical extension of the firm’s earlier experiment with “work from anywhere week” starting back in 2014.
Alas, in 2026, the Work From Anywhere policy is a tad more complicated. Quinn attorneys can still work from anywhere, but the policy includes a significant shift in tone, having gone from “work from wherever they do their best work” to the new mantra “we are at our best when we are together.”
At a time when most Biglaw firms have beat a retreat from their hybrid work arrangements, Quinn is not ending remote work, but it does seem to be putting a little extra weight on the scale toward convincing lawyers to come back to the office. And as part of that, the “indefinitely” has morphed into a mostly:
WFA attorneys must work on-site at their home office for a minimum of three days at least two times per calendar year.
Six days a year is not a huge ask. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine a lawyer schedule that wouldn’t have brought them back into the office for at least a couple weeks a year just for meetings. But it’s notable that the firm has formalized a change after years of a hands-off approach.
The fine print on eligibility has changed as well. Back in 2021, the policy covered first-years too, but now associates need “at least two years of post-law school experience,” before taking advantage of the plan. Beyond that, all candidates looking to work from anywhere must first “work on site in a US QE office for at least one year.”
If there’s been any takeaway from the COVID era, it’s that about half the country is willing to pretend a deadly disease doesn’t exist as long as conspiracy theorists tell them it’s true. And if there’s been a second takeaway from the COVID era, it’s that training matters. Young professionals generally have proven behind on basic skills, and junior lawyers understand they desperately need to build the soft skills that really only develop with in-person work.
And some don’t even understand how much help they need.
Attorneys can excel working remotely if they already understand what the work is all about. But until they do, they’re better off in an environment where they can pick up the lessons they need.
“The WFA policy has been tremendously successful, and we’re proud of the flexibility our culture affords,” Andy Rossman explained. “These adjustments are intended to connect participants even more closely to the firm and set them up for continued success.”
WFA status may be renewed for two additional one year terms, for a total program participation of three years. Execom may, in its sole discretion, renew an attorney’s WFA status beyond three years.
This reads like a big departure from “indefinitely,” but if you can’t start the program until your third year, and you get to the beginning of your sixth year still performing at a high level… they’re going to extend it.
Participation in the WFA program may affect an attorney’s mentorship and relationship-building opportunities, which can in turn impact contributions to the Firm’s culture and business development. Accordingly, the Firm may consider WFA status as one of several legitimate business factors when determining discretionary bonuses or compensation awards.
Check that… they’ll either extend it or they’re telling you that you need to be coming in because partnership requires a couple years of networking. And if you aren’t performing at a high level at that point, it’s probably time to look elsewhere anyway.
Current participants are “grandfathered and exempt” from the three-year limit, and the ones who never worked on site are excused from the one-year requirement too. This appears to be about making sure the next generation of Quinn attorneys — either coming in from law school or moving over from another firm — learn the Quinn way in an office setting first.
This is still the best deal in Biglaw for any lawyer that values flexibility. If you can do your job, you can do it anywhere. But it looks like even the most generous out-of-office policy has to bend a bit to allow the firm to accomplish all its goals.
Earlier: Quinn Emanuel Will Allow Lawyers To Work Remotely, Indefinitely, From Anywhere In The Country
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter or Bluesky if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news.
