What is the safest way to prepare my law firm for the future or another natural disaster?

2020 has been a year of crisis management. Between the coronavirus pandemic, wildfires, police brutality riots, and numerous large-scale natural disasters across the United States, law firms have had to contend with a lot of uncertainty. These events have raised the question of how to safely prepare for future disasters.

The first thing that a firm must have in place is a disaster recovery plan. Disaster recovery plans should cover a range of incidents that impact how your firm functions, including, but not limited to, IT infrastructure, the physical offices, or employees’ ability to do their jobs^[1].

Key elements of a good DRP include the following considerations^[2]:

• Assessing priorities for immediate action
• Assigning roles responsibilities^[3]
  • Who is authorized to execute a plan? Have a chain of command in place.
• Data backup and a plan for accessing and restoring backups in the aftermath of a disaster. Your plan should be tested periodically.
  • Client lists, calendars, electronic documents
• Inventory of assets
  • A list of all physical client and case records
  • A list of all office supplies, computers, equipment, and furniture used by the firm
  • Make sure to include a list of key vendors to use to obtain office supplies, computers, IT assistance, equipment, furniture
• Communications plan that includes who to contact and what critical information to communicate:
  • Emergency contacts, including first responders, banking, and other key business contacts
  • FEMA and Red Cross contact information for government loans or other assistance
  • Insurance agent contacts to file business interruption claim as soon as possible
  • Employee contact information, as well as their emergency contacts
  • Communication plan for clients, the court, staff, lawyers, and vendors after a disaster
• Work plan for employees
  • Plan for locating new office OR
  • Plan for remote work

The ABA, as well as most state and local bar associations, offer disaster recovery resources for attorneys, along with DRP templates^[4].

References

1. After Disaster Strikes: A Checklist
2. A Primer On Disaster Recovery for Law Firms
3. A Law Firm’s Guide to Disaster Recovery
4. How to Create a Law Firm Disaster Recovery Plan