Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Attorney here. Camera off for almost all internal meetings. Frankly, if you’re not multitasking during an internal meeting, that means you don’t have enough work.
For new or newer clients, I always do camera on. For some external clients who are consistent with cameras on, I will too (if I look decent, but fine skipping it if I don’t look decent). If we have an external call with client and opposing side, it’s always cameras off. In other situations I always default to cameras off.
Listen, I am being paid by clients for typically 5-7 hours a day of calls. The balance of my day (typically a 10 hr workday) is doing work at my computer. For the zoom calls I’m on, ninety percent of them, I am “the star” and people are asking me complex questions and need complex answers. Me being on the spot with zoom and worrying about how I look and if I’m gesticulating too much with my hands, or facing the camera…. This is not sustainable for 5-7 hours a day while also giving advice worth $2000 an hour. Before Covid, I was giving that advice to clients on audio only phone calls. They can live without seeing me on screen in exchange for extremely valuable advice.
Yea. This. But I’m former biglaw so makes sense we’d be on the same page. If I’m spearheading a major negotiation while simultaneously owning the documents, I’ll put camera on for intros and take myself off the the negotiation. Mainly because I’m not looking at the camera as I’m referencing drafts on multiple screens and I will lean really close in on occasion and who wants to watch that.