Move Over Techies, Legal Professionals are the New Major Coworking Space Consumers!

There’s no doubt: the tech boom is largely responsible for the massive coworking wave that’s turning traditional office space on its head. With emerging tech startups outgrowing spaces faster than they could consume them, the need arose for flexible workplaces; spaces that didn’t require long term commitments. In keeping with non-traditional style, short term office space and coworking space evolved to suit the aesthetics of the creative/tech field. Office spaces were reconfigured to provide a more relaxed work space; driven by convenience and access to amenities more so than professional appearance.

Short term offices aren’t just for techies anymore

In time, the flexible office space has won-out. Traditional office space consumption is on a steady decline, not just within the tech field, but among other industries as well. Most recently, the legal industry has become one of the primary adopters of flexible and temporary office space. Thanks to technological advancements in filing and record management, law firms are finding less of a need of a large office footprint. Many firms are also realizing the changing demands of an emerging workforce. The growing influx of millennials in the workplace has brought with it changing ideas of what function an office should serve.

Law firms are taking these factors and applying the needs they will have 5-10 years down the line to their current office space searches.

Legal Support Technology

On-demand legal support has vastly changed the way attorneys look at office space. Remote court reporting firms can now provide state and even national reporting services in most major markets through extended networks and online scheduling. Many large court reporting firms also take care of booking hourly meeting rooms and daily conference space for their clients. This has greatly reduced the need for devoted conference rooms in many firms’ offices.

Collaboration in the Workplace

While the legal industry has never traditionally been viewed as a peer-oriented field, that’s starting to change – especially with millennials entering the job field. We’ve embraced collaboration and social engagement as necessary factors in the workplace. In fact, we’re seeing the need for opportunities to socialize and collaborate in the workplace become a higher priority than almost any other factor among young professionals.

The next major consumer of coworking space?

It seems that the concept of collaborative, flexible office space is here to stay. Coworking space is growing from a startup trend to a dominating presence in the office market. As more and more professionals look for convenience and flexibility, industry is following suit. As the concept grows and evolves, it will soon be able to suit the demands of any type of business. It will be interesting to see where this shift takes us, as well as what other industries it affects along the way.