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The Eco-crusade and the legal profession

The Eco-crusade and the legal profession

 


ecoEnvironmental and social sustainability, issues which have become ubiquitous in recent years, seem to be equally as paramount to law firms as it is to the current socio- political agenda. And jumping on a green, morally fine-tuned bandwagon, according to over 60% of senior personnel working in the UK’S top 100 law firms, will provide long-term security for the practice in which they work.


Job prestige and high salaries are no longer the only keys attracting and retaining legal professionals. A firm’s CSR codes of practice are now as important to its credentials as its ranking, turnover, salaries and success rate. With a third of employees considering their firm’s corporate responsibility agenda as one of the most important features contributing to job satisfaction and allegiance they feel towards their practice, it’s high-time for firms to play their green cards and shout full house.

With ‘pro bono’ becoming a huge selling point, both in terms of recruitment and new business, it’s no wonder that the Magic Circle and beyond has been shimmying down the philanthropic catwalk, with future candidates and clients invited to front row seats. And if, indeed, a law firm’s survival relies on the calibre of its future employees, public image, staff retention and rate of new business, it needs to have the shiniest ‘accessories’ and innovative strategies in place.

The latest technology is, according to those already working within major- player law firms, a considerable must-have if corporate responsibility is to be implemented successfully. When questioned, most senior personnel working in the top 100 Law Firms recognised that up-to-date technology, such as conferencing tools and remote computer access, would significantly lower the need to travel to meetings, thus reducing the firm’s carbon footprint whilst boosting its profile amongst future talent and clients.

Despite the obvious monetary benefits of technological and ecological fortifications, practices are slow to respond. According to study by BT Global Services*, half of the 100 law firms interviewed admitted that the role of IT is undervalued by partners who place more weight and emphasis on long-standing pro bono activities such as the participation in, and support of, cultural and community life.



However, in the past twelve months, a number of top-tier law firms have begun to set a steady pace in the race towards sustainability within the legal profession. By placing more weight on the functionality and practicality of available technologies in the workplace, practices have started to implement strategies which combine employee satisfaction and environmental responsibility- pivotal business strategies which will ensure that they are not losing out on very expensive talent.

Better technology, lower carbon emissions and more time at home- is everyone really a winner?
Law firm Simmons and Simmons, in the bid to strike a healthier work-life package for its employees (and to attract those discouraged by the long hours in the office associated with the legal profession) has considerably revised its flexible-working policy*.By making full use of Blackberries, mobiles and laptops with remote access, lawyers and support staff are being actively encouraged to work on a flexible basis both in and out of the office and, most recently, at home. Simmons has also recognised the need to equip and train staff with both the relevant technologies and the IT skills to ensure maximum productivity which will make flexible and home working a feasible, long-term option.

The future: Virtual lawyers- A means to an end?

The green revolution, subsequently, is an issue which employers cannot ignore if a firm is to survive in a market progressively altered by businesses using technology fuelled by tomatoes or mouse droppings and downsizing staff in favour of technological replacements. And if the future for the law firm is ‘funkier’ and green, then lawyers’ future job spec will find itself being increasingly diverse and, potentially, outsourced.
With firms already going to battle over competitive flexible working policies, future lawyers can expect to spend less time in the office, a host of shiny gadgets to master and completely restructured professional requirements. Subsequently, top A-levels, a first class law degree, AND indispensable IT knowledge may be fundamental entry-points for those seeking a career in law.

And with the advent of legal the profession going increasing virtual, perhaps it’s just a matter of time before the advent of the virtual practice, virtual courtroom and, ultimately, the virtual lawyer. Given the momentum at which businesses have been scrubbing at their carbon footprints and attempting to reduce unnecessary expenditure, it could be a case of not so much employee satisfaction but, moreover systematical reduction. By implanting processes that can reduce the need for specialised man power, law firms and lawyers could be shifting towards being not so much ‘seen to be green’ but, green and not seen.

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