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The green(er) law practice: your firm can save money - and help save the planet - by conserving resources and taking steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Already on board? Try going for a deeper shade of green.

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For a long time, "going green" was considered trendy. People who claimed to be part of the green movement were viewed as somewhat eccentric--they were "tree buggers" or "whale savers."

But recently, news about the environment has taken a very serious turn, with scientists, economists, and other experts issuing dire warnings about our warming planet. In a report last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that "warming of the climate system is unequivocal." (1) The report concluded that if we continue to emit greenhouse gases at current rates, the planet will only get hotter, causing ocean warming and changes in "continental-average temperatures, temperature extremes, and wind patterns." (2)

"Greening" is the process of changing your activities to conserve resources, reduce the stream of waste and pollutants, and lessen your overall impact on the environment. It's about individuals changing daily practices like buying locally grown food or taking a canvas bag to the store. It's about coworkers teaming up to change the way business is done. It's about governments investing in smart urban planning and renewable energy. It's about working together to advance the paradigm that a healthy economy depends on a healthy environment.

We can no longer sustain current patterns of consumption. At a certain point, undesirable changes in the natural systems that sustain us will occur whether we want them to or not. And as the only species on the planet endowed with foresight and planning capabilities, we need to anticipate change, embrace it, and channel it into better use and distribution of resources, better designs for buildings and cities, and better lives.

Greening is a personal and a community act. Every sector of the economy has a role to play, law firms included, and taking action will deepen understanding of the necessity--and many benefits--of going green. Indeed, the legal community is already beginning to act.

The Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA) recently launched a program called "Lawyers Eco-Challenge--One Planet One Voice" to offer practical guidelines and begin a contest for law firms to reduce energy consumption. The MBA, which cites a Sun MicroSystems survey showing that 73 percent of workers want their employers to be green, believes lawyers should be leaders in the fight against global warming. (3)

The ABA's Environment, Energy, and Resources Section is running a "Law Office Climate Challenge" with the EPA. It includes three voluntary programs: WasteWise, in which participants manage office paper use and increase recycling; a Green Power Partnership that encourages firms to buy energy from renewable sources such as solar cells or wind farms; and the EPA Energy Star program, which incorporates an energy-management plan for law offices and a goal to reduce electricity use by at least 10 percent. (4)

The ABA will recognize law offices that meet participation requirements as Law Office Climate Challenge Partners, and for offices that participate in the Green Power Partnership or Energy Star program, the ABA will post the amounts of greenhouse gas emissions their actions avoided on its Law Office Climate Challenge Web site. (5)

Can your law firm go green? Of course. It may require some creativity to tailor your practice's efforts to office context and culture, capitalizing on strengths (Are your employees already environmentally savvy? Is the firm located near mass transit?) and identifying idiosyncratic "weaknesses" (Are your lawyers technophobic? Do you serve imported drinking water to impress clients?). But you can implement many green practices, starting small by putting a recycling bin next to the copier, then increasing your efforts--even going as far as making changes to the building itself.

Worker habits

First, look at your law firm from every angle, decide where and how to make changes, and put them into practice at a pace that makes sense for you. Start with small fixes, focusing on the people who help your practice run smoothly. Be sure to examine these areas:

The team. People are key. Walk through the office and take stock of current practices; seek input from all staff on problems and solutions, and start a "green team" to advise the firm and implement strategies. Make sure the team keeps coworkers in the loop about its efforts...

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