How Green is your Firm?

By Rene Ciria-Cruz

The typical lawyer uses up to 100,000 sheets of paper in a year - creating 4.5 tons of carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse-gas emissions, according to Arnold & Porter, a Washington, D.C., law firm.

To help law firms reduce this kind of waste and boost energy efficiency, California attorney Caroline Mankey has coauthored the Green Guide for Lawyers. Published last year by the Meritas Leadership Institute, Mankey's guide offers a plan that progresses from simple conservation tips to more ambitious ways to slash energy consumption.

What's in it for law firms? Increasingly, clients are "looking for environmentally responsible law firms," says Mankey, a partner at Los Angeles's Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs & Shapiro. Plus, firms that follow the guide can reduce over-head. Here are excerpts from its three levels of going green.

Sustainability Advocate
- uses motion-sensitive lighting
- provides reusable drinking mugs instead of disposable cups
- sets up carpools and offers pre-tax subsidies for transit users

Sustainability Partner

- uses mostly Energy Star- - certified equipment
- pledges pro bono hours to environmental groups
- launches professional energy-efficiency audits of firm offices

Sustainability Leader

- locates offices in a building certified in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program
- tracks energy and materials usage, pledging to reduce such usage by 10 percent annually
- offers socially responsible investment options for employee retirement plans

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