Few were as surprised as law firms themselves that they could so quickly mobilize and transition whole teams to remote practices. Of course, there wasn’t much choice. Yet even the most entrenched in-person operations managed to find a way to continue operating, many of them quite successfully. That quick thinking was rightfully celebrated, given the state of emergency. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that not all was well behind the curtains.

Some minor mistakes and security issues are understandable given the quick shift to remote work en masse. But that understanding may not translate into forgiveness where those minor mistakes create major headaches for clients. Where there is some forgiveness, it may not last for long now that everyone, namely clients, knows there are more effective and secure ways to manage litigation remotely. We are already seeing increased pressure on firms to fix problems and use available tools to improve now.