Direct Answer
Business continuity is the plan a law firm uses to continue operating when its normal office, technology, or other essential resources are unavailable.
A business continuity plan should address how attorneys and employees will continue to:
- Communicate with clients and each other
- Access critical files and information
- Use essential applications
- Meet deadlines
- Work if the office is unavailable
- Obtain IT support
The goal is to keep the firm operating during a disruption.
Why This Matters
A disruption does not have to destroy the firm’s data to prevent people from working.
A power or internet outage, inaccessible office, technology failure, cyberattack, or other event can interrupt normal operations.
A business continuity plan determines how the firm will continue working until normal operations can be restored.
Editor’s Insight
A business continuity plan answers a simple question: How will the firm keep working if the way we normally work is unavailable?
How Should a Law Firm Prepare to Continue Operating During a Disruption?
1. Identify the Functions the Firm Cannot Operate Without
Start by identifying what attorneys and employees need to keep the firm functioning.
Depending on the firm, these may include:
- Client communications
- Client files and documents
- Calendars and deadlines
- Practice management software
- Document management systems
- Billing and accounting
- Telephone service
- Other essential applications
Knowing which functions are critical helps the firm determine what needs to remain available during a disruption.
2. Determine How Employees Will Work if the Office Is Unavailable
A fire, flood, power failure, or other event could make the firm’s normal office unavailable.
The firm should know:
- Where attorneys and employees will work
- What computers they will use
- How they will securely access firm information
- How telephone calls will be handled
- How employees will communicate with each other
- How they will obtain IT support
Having these arrangements in place makes it easier to transition to another location or remote work when necessary.
3. Plan for the Loss of Critical Technology
The office may remain available while an essential technology service is not.
The firm could temporarily lose access to:
- Internet service
- Practice management software
- Document management
- Servers
- Telephone service
The business continuity plan should address how the firm will continue its essential work while the affected technology is unavailable.
4. Know Who Is Responsible for What
During a disruption, employees should know who is responsible for making decisions and coordinating the firm’s response.
The plan should identify who will:
- Make decisions
- Communicate with employees
- Communicate with clients when necessary
- Contact technology providers and other vendors
- Coordinate alternate working arrangements
Establishing these responsibilities in advance avoids having to determine them during an emergency.
5. Test the Business Continuity Plan
A written plan may contain assumptions that do not work in practice.
Testing can determine whether employees can access the systems and information they need, whether communication procedures work, and whether important steps have been overlooked.
Problems discovered during testing can be corrected before the firm has to depend on the plan.
Two Questions We Hear
What is the difference between business continuity and disaster recovery?
Business continuity focuses on keeping the firm operating during a disruption.
Disaster recovery focuses on restoring the firm’s technology and data after a disruption.
For example, if a server becomes unavailable, disaster recovery addresses how the server and its data will be restored. Business continuity addresses how the firm will continue working while the server is unavailable.
Is working from home a business continuity plan?
No.
Remote-work capability can be an important part of business continuity, particularly when the office is unavailable.
A business continuity plan also needs to address access to information and applications, communications, responsibilities, technology failures, and the other resources the firm needs to continue operating.
How Avenue M Helps
Avenue M Computers has provided IT and cybersecurity services to law firms in New York since 2010.
We help law firms identify the technology they depend on and prepare for disruptions that could prevent employees from working.
That includes planning for remote access, backup and recovery, critical technology availability, and the IT procedures needed to help the firm continue operating during a disruption.
Three Key Takeaways
- Business continuity is about keeping the firm operating during a disruption.
- The plan should address people, communications, technology, information, and where employees will work.
- Business continuity and disaster recovery serve different purposes, and a law firm needs both.
Related Articles
- What Is Disaster Recovery, and Why Does a Law Firm Need It?
- What Technology Does a Law Firm Need to Support Remote and Hybrid Work?
- How Often Should Law Firms Test Their Backups?
- What Should Every Law Firm Include in an Incident Response Plan?
- What Happens During a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment?
Technology should help your law firm practice law more securely, efficiently, and confidently, not become another distraction.
