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Note: This is an edited version of an article written by Maralee Sanders in the Spring 2021 edition of the Young Lawyers Division Dictum. Read the full article and issue here (login required).

We are now more than a year into a global pandemic that has dramatically shifted the way we work. Some of us remain working from home and some of us have returned to the office, under strict guidelines governing in-person interaction. For the foreseeable future, happy hours and lunches with coworkers may not be possible, even as vaccines become more widely available. How can we, as young lawyers, build and maintain important professional relationships within our workplaces and networks?

Here’s a list of ideas for virtual activities, some of them silly, some of them delicious, and some of them targeted at self-care and individual well-being.

Entertainment

• Trivia – Trivia has long been a dive-bar favorite, a chance to showcase the random facts and bits of information we’ve collected throughout our lives. Many trivia companies have pivoted to the virtual space, bringing the fun and energy of a trivia night to anywhere you can connect from.
• Bingo – Not just for church halls anymore. Bingo can be surprisingly fun for a group activity, and since most people have played before, play can be relatively quick. Cards can be mailed or emailed to participants in advance.
• Scavenger Hunts – There are a few variations on this activity, including requiring participants or teams to submit photos of random household objects or take photos of participants engaging in some specific activity.
• Escape Rooms – In the couple of years prior to the pandemic, escape rooms were popping up all over the state. Small groups of people are locked in a room and have to solve clues and puzzles in order to escape within an hour. Many companies have successfully pivoted to presenting these online, allowing participants to put their skills on display from home.
• Murder Mystery – Similar to an escape room, your group will solve a virtual whodunnit using available clues.
• Board Games – There are a handful of favorite board games that lend themselves to virtual game nights; some of these include Codenames, Pictionary (including one variation where participants use MS Paint), and Scattergories. A recent favorite in my household was Poetry for Neanderthals, which included directions on how to turn it into a virtual game.
• Jackbox Games – Jackbox has been a leader in group virtual games even before the pandemic, with several fun game options.
• Dueling Piano Party/Mentalist/Comedy Show – Many performers and live entertainers have pivoted to virtual performances, allowing you and your friends or colleagues to unwind and have some laughs from home.

Creative Endeavors – These activities, and those in the food category to follow, involve a vendor sending supplies, or a list of supplies or ingredients, to the attendees in advance of a set meeting time. During the live broadcast, an instructor provides guidance on the activity and answers attendees’ questions. Attendees create something tangible.

• Succulent Potting/Flower Arranging – Attendees learn to arrange flowers or succulents to display in their homes.
• Paint and Sip – Attendees create a work of art while following along with an instructor. Recently, the YLD hosted a paint and sip event where participants learned to paint a set of scales set on a galactic background. Lots of laughs were shared when the presenter told a group of lawyers not to worry too much about the details.
• Candle-/Soap-Making – For those hoping for a more practical hands-on experience, candle- or soap-making might be a hit.

Food

            With Alcohol

• Wine Pairing – Attendees learn about flavor profiles and wine varietals and learn which flavors pair with certain cheeses or chocolates. I have heard of wine shops preparing these packages for pick-up, or vineyards shipping tasting-size bottles directly.
• Cocktail Mixing –Participants receive either ingredients or a shopping list and are taught to make interesting libations in the comfort of home.

Alcohol Optional

• Cheese/Cocoa/Chocolate Tasting – Participants receive a small selection of goodies to sample and can learn to identify flavor profiles and characteristics of different varieties.
• Cocoa Bomb Making – Cocoa bombs were all the TikTok rage at the end of 2020. Thin chocolate shells melt away in hot milk to reveal marshmallows and hot cocoa mix. Attendees learn how to temper their chocolate, to fill their molds, and to decorate their own cocoa bombs.
• Cooking Class – Participants follow along and learn to create a special dish. The YLD hosted an event with past YLD Chair Christina Vassiliou Harvey of the Cooking Up Justice blog and learned to make one of her delicious creations.
• Charcuterie Presentation – Attendees learn how to present a Pinterest-worthy charcuterie board, including meats, cheeses, crackers, fruits, and spreads.

Wellness – These activities involve an expert or instructor, leading group activities via Zoom or another communications platform designed to give attendees a new skill, a new outlook, or just a few minutes of calm.

• Strengths Finder – Do you thrive in a collaborative environment? Do you excel under pressure? A strengths finder activity can help identify personality traits that impact your work and personal life. Participants learn about various traits and how to maximize their talents.
• Enneagram Training – If you were a person on the internet in 2020, you likely saw people describing themselves as a number. The enneagram personality philosophy has been around for decades, but early in the pandemic, it experienced a resurgence. Many people I know profiled themselves and found meaning in the results. The Los Angeles Times wrote about the theory and multiple sites popped up with profile tests.
• Yoga – Yoga is great way to move your body and recenter yourself. Yoga can be adapted to all experience and fitness levels and can be taught online easily.
• Meditation Class – Similarly, meditation can help release tension and recenter participants, enabling them to be more mindful as they go about their days.

            With so many options for virtual gatherings, I am sure there is something that you and your friends or colleagues will enjoy until it’s safe to gather again in person!