Jennifer Bluestein was quoted in The American Lawyer* article, "Chief Talent Officers Are Using the Pandemic to Build for the Future," regarding the firm's decision to cross-train employees.

Perkins Coie was in a period of change and growth before the coronavirus hit, Jennifer says. “We needed to alleviate concerns of people who were less busy and show them that we could give them a path, and encourage them to raise their hand because they weren’t that busy,” she says.

For example, Jennifer cites the firm’s travel and events team. When the pandemic began, they were busy tying up loose ends from canceled or postponed in-person events, conferences and discretionary travel. But once that was done, their work dried up. Instead of furloughs or layoffs, Perkins Coie tried cross-training.

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