Law Firm’s Office Hours: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Law Practice Management

Law Firm’s Office Hours: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Posted Apr 8, 2008, 12:47 pm CDT
By Martha Neil

Clients seeking to meet with their counsel at one downtown Boston law firm are encouraged to try to do so during its regular office hours—between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., Monday to Friday—although special arrangements can be made to meet at other times.

But for many individual and small business clients of 14-attorney Bay State Legal Services, the evening is the ideal time to meet, reports the National Law Journal. Meanwhile, the fledgling enterprise, also branded and trademarked as After-Hours Law, is able to afford prime downtown office space at 60 State Street by leasing it only during evening hours under a fee-splitting arrangement with another firm.

Founder E. James Perullo, now 43, admits the got the idea because of the need to keep his day job—which he still holds—doing contract information technology work. He is the only partner of the 10-month-old firm right now, but expects to add others. Meanwhile, other lawyers with a similar need to focus on other work during the regular business day have affiliated with his venture, and clients, Perullo says, find the evening office hours ideal.

"The idea behind the business model is convenience for clients," he says.

Comments

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Posted by Brian Tome - 1 month, 4 hours, 9 minutes ago

Simple and brilliant! I hope he makes a mint. I am just sorry he has to keep his day job to make ends meet, but that seems to be the market demand for most of us these days.
Posted by Ellen Dunkirk - 1 month, 2 hours, 46 minutes ago

Agreed. We’re working too hard. I have to read this at 7 in the morning, before I start work. Of course I’ll still be there at 7:00 pm, long after some of my dopey clients are downing beers at the pub. Maybe I should have become a “client” rather than the lawyer. I could be out there with him (though he’s a fat slob).
Posted by Diane - 1 month, 1 hour, 50 minutes ago

This is a great idea in terms of doing the face time with clients. But what if you have to go to any court appearances, depositions, etc? You would need a lot of flex time at your regular, full time job to squeeze all that in as the parties on the other side do the usual day shifts.
Posted by Darius - 4 weeks, 2 days, 8 hours, 35 minutes ago

Just wondering when the legal work gets done.
Posted by Slingshot - 4 weeks, 2 days, 8 hours, 7 minutes ago

Hmm, Perullo is the “only partner”? By definition, you can’t be a partner all by yourself.
Posted by hooray - 4 weeks, 2 days, 6 hours, 23 minutes ago

Hey, whatever works. It’s great to have options and to explore other ways of doing business. I share Diane’s curiosity about court appearances and deps though during these hours.

I’m also sick and tired of the likes of Ellen (comment 2) whose comment to every article no matter what the topic is “work is hard!” No one is forcing you to work 12 hour days, dear Ellen, just don’t expect the same take-home money if you can’t pull more than 9-5. Yeah, yea, I know all about student loans, I got plenty. I am not saying the choices are easy or adequate, I am only suggesting that there are choices in the matter and this article is an example of increasing attempts to create alternative arrangements that fit some people better. I hope we keep expanding our options for the kinds of lifestyles and schedules that are available to lawyers.
Posted by R - 4 weeks, 2 days, 4 hours, 7 minutes ago

Hey Ellen - most “fat slobs” are a lot of fun!

I’m waiting to see the first law firm that institutes second and third shifts (maybe overlapping: 8 am to 6 pm, 4pm to 2 am, midnight to 10 am). Probably just a matter of time.
Posted by FR - 4 weeks, 8 hours, 45 minutes ago

It is disturbing to me to see an article on what amounts to extended work time (since no one disputes the “real” workday began in the morning) being celebrated as “client convenience.” The logical extension to client convenience is the creation of a class of indentured servants (though handsomely paid) available at any moment of the daily 24-hour period. Assuming a workday that begins in the morning, it is the hours of 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. that should be devoted to such human endeavors as raising a family, playing a team sport, writing the Great American Novel - basic human activities that make us human.
Posted by Candice - 3 weeks, 6 days, 7 hours, 3 minutes ago

I find that our office hours here are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. With court, paperwork, staff management and finally client meetings, who has time for a day job? We may not answer the phones after 5:00 p.m., but us lawyers are here well after. We have all our client appointments scheduled between the hours of 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., then finish the paperwork, memos, staff instructions, etc. after clients leave.
Maybe it would be better to be a client, as Ellen suggests.

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