I have previously suggested (blog post and article) that law firms might be able to reduce occupancy cost and free-up time (billable or personal – to be negotiated) by allowing or encouraging lawyers to work at home or in satellite offices some number of days per week. The idea is that less office space is needed if lawyers work at home more.
A range of obstacles could make this difficult (and my article discusses these). One is that lawyers are needed in the office. Part-Time Culture Grows at Firms in the National Law Journal (10/26/04) reports that an increasing number of firms are open to part-time lawyers, including those on the partnership track. It strikes me that if firms can arrange work for part-time lawyers, they can also arrange work and schedules for full-time lawyers who spend time working outside the office.