JIM HERSCHLEIN
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BRITTANY IRVING
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ROBERT MOY
JESSICA PALMESE
Normal IM HERSCHLEIN ’85 remembers wondering, “What are we supposed to do?” If there was one thought, one question ricocheting through offices as the pandemic emptied them last year, that was it. But there wasn’t much time for thinking or questioning. Herschlein, the Co-Chair of Complex Litigation at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, along with St. John’s Law alumni in New York, across the country, and around the world, had to figure out how to navigate lawyering in the new normal.
“I had a very strong feeling of being in a play as it was being written,” Herschlein says. “Nobody knew what was to be done, or for that matter what next was to be done, or what conditions were next to be encountered. But we quickly realized we had to take action to serve our clients and—as importantly —to keep our lawyers and staff connected and engaged.” With his team, Herschlein reached out to see how clients were handling the pandemic professionally and personally and to discuss issues they were facing or anticipating. He also adjusted to an ever-changing court schedule as shutdown protocols delayed appearances and adjourned trials. For Herschlein, and millions of other attorneys fortunate enough to have reliable access, technology facilitated the transition to working from home. “As much as I prefer being in person, and look forward to the day that returns more fully, the biggest surprise for me is how much you can get done with a laptop, a camera, and a strong Wi-Fi signal,” he says. “From video court proceedings, 22 l ST. JOHN’S LAW MAGAZINE
