How the Legal Profession is Responding to COVID-19
Mon, Mar 16th, 2020 | by Miles Mediation and Arbitration | News | Social Share
The legal community, like other industries, is taking steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Law firms, and other businesses in the legal industry, are offering videoconferencing and telephone conference calls in lieu of face-to-face meetings. Attorneys and support staff are working remotely to reduce exposure in the workplace. In rare instances, firms have closed offices. Firms have also implemented travel restrictions.
At Miles Mediation & Arbitration, we have implemented “touchless greetings” and social distancing policy in our offices. This aligns with recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other health organizations. Our staff is diligently following CDC best practices, such as sanitizing surfaces, encouraging frequent hand washing, and serving boxed lunches to help prevent the spread of the virus in the firm’s offices. We are also providing options for clients to conduct mediations, arbitrations, and ADR matters by videoconferencing on Zoom and telephone conference calls.
Looking at the bigger picture, several legal conferences, firm sponsored meetings, and other large gatherings have been postponed or canceled. Courts have suspended operations and law schools have canceled in-person classes. The legal industry continues to monitor and follow guidelines from WHO, CDS and other public health organizations.
How Firms Are Supporting Clients Facing Challenges
For some clients, a 30-day court closure is a major disruption in trying to resolve their case. Attorneys realize the backlog caused by the suspension of court operations could stretch beyond the 30 days. When and where it can be done, lawyers representing these clients are taking matters, such as mediation and arbitration, to virtual settings.
Miles Mediation & Arbitration, along with the rest of the legal community, has and continues to respond swiftly and effectively to balance the needs of public safety with that of legal representation and dispute resolution. If you are interested in learning more about our video and phone conferencing solutions as well as our external, client-facing videos, give us a call. We can help you and your clients achieve the resolutions they deserve, even amid uncertainty.
If you have questions about the safety measures we are taking at Miles or need information about an ADR engagement, please email miles@milesmediation.com or call 888-305-3553 at any time.