Most backup conversations focus on data. Fewer address a different problem: what if your people cannot get to the office? A tornado warning, a burst pipe, a power failure lasting days or a building closure can stop a firm just as surely as ransomware, even if every file is safe.
Firms in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Kansas understand this well. Severe weather is a regular part of the calendar. A continuity plan turns an emergency into an inconvenience.
Start With What Must Keep Running
The first question is not technical. Ask what the firm must be able to do within the first 24 to 72 hours of a disruption.
- Meet court deadlines and attend hearings
- Communicate with clients
- Access case files and calendars
- Handle trust account transactions
- Pay staff and vendors
Rank these. They shape every decision below.
Remote Access Done Safely
If staff cannot reach the office, they need a secure way to work elsewhere.
Cloud-based systems
Firms that already use cloud email, practice management and document storage have a head start, since access requires only a device and internet.
Remote access to on-premises systems
If your files live on a server in the office, you need a secure remote connection. Make sure it uses multi-factor authentication and is kept updated, because exposed remote-access tools are a favorite target of attackers. Test it from outside the office before you need it.
Devices
Decide whether staff will use firm laptops, personal devices or temporary loaners. Personal devices introduce risk, so set rules about encryption, updates and separation of firm data.
Communications Plan
When email or phones are down, how do you reach people?
- Maintain a current call and text list of every attorney and staff member, with personal numbers, stored offline and in a place not tied to your office systems.
- Pick a primary and a backup channel for staff communication.
- Forward main office phone lines to mobile numbers or a cloud phone system.
- Prepare templates to notify clients, courts and opposing counsel of delays.
- Assign someone to update your website or voicemail greeting.
Paper and Offline Essentials
Digital-first firms still benefit from a short set of offline references.
- Court deadlines and hearing schedule for the next 30 to 60 days
- Key client and vendor contacts
- Insurance policies and broker contacts
- Bank, trust-account and payroll contacts
- IT provider emergency number
- Copy of this continuity plan
Keep a copy off-site, such as with a partner at home, and one in a secure cloud location.
Alternate Workspace
Think about where the team would work if your office is unusable. Options include working from home, a partner's office, a shared workspace or a reciprocal arrangement with another firm. Set rules to protect confidentiality in public or shared spaces.
Power and Internet
- Consider battery backup for servers and network equipment, to allow clean shutdowns.
- Check whether your phone system and internet connection depend on a single provider or location.
- Consider a mobile hotspot or secondary connection for key staff.
Physical Security and Records
If you still hold original documents, wills, deeds or other client property, consider fireproof storage and remember that ABA Model Rule 1.15 addresses safekeeping property. Digitize where appropriate and permitted, and keep originals protected.
Define Roles and Authority
Name who declares an emergency, who contacts staff, who talks to clients and who coordinates with IT and insurers. Name backups for each person. Plans fail when the one person who knows the plan is the one who is unreachable.
Test and Update
Once a year, run a tabletop exercise or a "work from home day" without access to the office. Note what broke, such as a missing VPN token or an outdated phone list, and fix it. Review the plan whenever staff, systems or offices change.
Keep It Short
A three-page plan that people read beats a thirty-page binder no one opens.
Counsel Cyber helps law firms prepare continuity plans that connect IT recovery with real-world operations. If you would like help building or testing one, we can walk through it with your team.