Judge Richard Posner has an interesting take on what will drive (so to speak) law firms to allow lawyers to work virtually.
I have suggested that law firms experiment with virtual work (e.g., Working Virtually Revisited) and written about related topics (e.g., Where Should In-House Counsel Sit? and Collaboration Re-Considered).
In the Becker-Posner blog, Judge Posner considers the seemingly intractable question of traffic congestion and getting drivers off the road. He concludes that
“until traffic congestion gets significantly worse, little will be done, and perhaps little should be done, to try to reduce it. But I am not pessimistic. In the long run what will reduce traffic congestion will be the continued digital revolution, which will not only increase the amount of telecommuting but also lead to a substantial substitution of virtual for face-to-face interactions in business, shopping, and even socializing. The business district of the future and the mall of the future may be located in cyberspace.”
The judge notes that high-speed Internet access allows him to work at home much more now than when he became a judge 24 years ago.