When you walk into a BigLaw office, how does it feel to you in that space? Corporate? Welcoming? Open? Private? Dated? New? Empty? Busy? In this episode of Big Law Life, I explore why that is, how design decisions impact your impressions and the work lives for those in these environments, and why law firm office design is changing more quickly now than it has in decades.

Christian Amolsch and Jordan Novak from Gensler, a global architecture, design, and planning firm, who work closely with law firms on workplace strategy, join the podcast to share their experience of what they are seeing in law firm design. We unpack how the pandemic accelerated conversations about efficiency, collaboration, and the role of the office. We also discuss how firms are balancing deeply rooted cultural norms, like privacy and hierarchy, with new priorities around connection, flexibility, and employee experience.

We also talk about specific examples of how design decisions, from shared offices to transparent walls to hospitality-driven spaces, directly influence how lawyers work, interact, and develop. If you are navigating return-to-office expectations or thinking about what your firm work space looks like or should look like, this episode offers a practical lens into how physical space can shape and reflect culture and working environments.

At a Glance 01:20 Why law firm office space is evolving and why it matters now 02:21 How the pandemic accelerated changes in workplace design and thinking 05:26 How firms are rethinking the purpose of the office beyond efficiency 07:26 Why mentorship and shared offices are returning despite prior changes 09:36 How leadership defines a "North Star" for office design decisions 11:20 Why flexibility in design matters over long real estate cycles 12:23 How hospitality-driven spaces are influencing law firm environments 13:20 How virtual work changed expectations around background and professionalism 15:18 How firms are rethinking amenities, collaboration spaces, and movement 17:19 Why design choices are shifting from storage to interaction and culture 19:01 How transparency in office design impacts connection and visibility 20:44 Why underused spaces reveal opportunities for redesign and efficiency 22:25 How client-centered design creates long-term value for firms

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Interested in learning more about Gensler and how they work with law firms? Click here. Gensler is a global architecture, design, and planning firm that brings together more than 6,000 professionals working from over 50 offices worldwide, partnering with clients in more than 100 countries. Through integrated expertise in workplace strategy, architecture, and interior design, Gensler helps law firms align their physical environments with evolving business, talent, and client needs. The company has worked with many of the most prominent legal organizations to help them rethink office strategy and design high-performance workplaces that support collaboration, confidentiality, and growth. Its approach is informed by the firm's in-house research initiatives led by the Gensler Research Institute which studies how design impacts performance and the future of work.

Reach Christian Amolsch LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-amolsch-b797bb23/

Reach Jordan Novak LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-novak-gensler/

Interested in doing 1-2-1 coaching with Laura Terrell? Or learning more about her work coaching and consulting? Here are ways to reach out to her:

www.lauraterrell.com

laura@lauraterrell.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauralterrell/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraterrellcoaching/

Show notes: https://www.lauraterrell.com/podcast