Expect absolute chaos in Philadelphia on Valentines Day—not because the city is full of couples enjoying the holiday, but because the city will be filled to the brim with rabid Eagles fans celebrating the team’s Super Bowl victory.
Both law firms and local courts are preparing for the celebratory carnage of the Super Bowl parade, as the team is slated to meander through the heart of Philadelphia from South Philly up to City Hall and concluding at the steps of Philadelphia Art Museum.
All courts, including the First Judicial District, will be closed in the city on Friday; individuals originally scheduled for jury duty have received a temporary reprieve and will be rescheduled for a later date. Schools and city government buildings will also be shuttered in honor of the Eagles.
But some law firms’ offices in Philadelphia will remain open, despite rampant road closures and public transit detours and delays; a number of firms are also allowing attorneys to work from home to avoid the traffic gridlock expected on Friday and to watch the parade on television should they so choose.
Kaufman Dolowich, Ballard Spahr, and Polsinelli are all among the firms permitting remote work on the day of the parade, anticipating travel difficulties as a result of the expected crowds.
Anapol Weiss and Blank Rome both have offices located conveniently off of the Ben Franklin Parkway, providing the firms and eager employees a “bird’s-eye” view of the parade route as the Eagles make their way to the Philadelphia Art Museum; Blank Rome is also allowing attorneys to work from home should they choose to avoid the city.
Spector Gadon Rosen Vinci, meanwhile, is giving its office employees the entire day off on Friday to attend the parade. The firm’s chairman, Paul Rosen, is an outspoken fan of the football team, having witnessed the Eagles’ victory in New Orleans firsthand this year. In 2018, a firm spokesperson clarified, Rosen declared that the firm would schedule a holiday to celebrate the Eagles each time they garnered a Super Bowl win, and the firm is upholding that promise in 2025.
Other firms in the city are offering flexible working hours for employees looking to celebrate the Eagles. Marshall Dennehey indicated that it was offering flexible hours for staff on parade day, while Duane Morris is extending its lunch break to two hours on Friday for attorneys and staff who would like to see the Eagles victory celebration.
Duane Morris added that, although its Center City office will remain open, it planned on treating parade day as a “substantial snowfall day,” meaning that those who cannot make it to the office will not be charged for a day off.
And Polsinelli’s new Philadelphia office will celebrate the Eagles win with some Kansas City BBQ served by the firm’s Kansas City office leaders, although the firm has not yet set a date for this celebration. The two offices held a friendly bet in the lead-up to the Super Bowl; had the Eagles lost the game, the Philadelphia office leaders would have journeyed to Kansas City to introduce that location to the classic Philadelphia cheesesteak.