“The practice of law is changing. More to the point, how and where attorneys operate has changed with recent technological developments,” writes Seth L. Laver, a partner in Goldberg Segalla’s Professional Liability Practice Group.

“At first, many professionals took advantage of these developments while temporarily away from the office at meetings, vacations, or other shorter out-of-office stints. However, this model has drawn interest from attorneys who now opt never to set foot in a traditional office again and instead operate permanent ‘virtual offices.’”

In this article, Seth examines the way real-world implementation of a “virtual law office” must be accompanied by consideration of the professional duties imposed on every attorney. The article explores how many state professional-responsibility organizations have weighed in with ethical guidance for the attorney who opts to establish a practice outside the confines of the traditional office.