Going Green is a Good Business Decision
"It's not easy being green," lamented Kermit the Frog of Muppets fame.
Perhaps it's not easy to have green "skin," but it's certainly easy – and smart – to have a green law firm. Going green means being environmentally conscious.
There are many reasons for going green.
As a marketing decision, it appeals to the growing number of environmentally conscious clients and potential clients - and it offends virtually no one.
As a way to avoid malpractice, going green is a wise decision. Going green includes limiting the use of paper and instead relying more on computer technology. Recently, the ABA House of Delegates affirmed the professional reasons for embracing technology by approving a new Comment 8 on Rule 1.1, Competency, which states that "to maintain the requisite knowledge and skill" a lawyer "should keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology. . . ." It has long been a concern that a lawyer who does not use technology effectively is willfully less competent than other lawyers in the community-a clear instance of malpractice.
Finally, as a financial decision, going green saves a lot of green. It is cost-efficient because it saves on the expense of paper and postage – items that were large budget drains in the past. In addition, when a law firm makes green energy choices, it reaps savings.
Green has become good for a number of law firms. For example, Latham & Watkins, the largest firm in my home city of Los Angeles and one of the largest in the country, touts its Sustainable Measures and Recycling Tactics initiative, or SMART, as a "global program to reduce its environmental impact, conserve natural resources and energy, and operate in a sustainable and cost-effective manner."
Kermit the Frog was wrong. Really, it's very easy to be green.
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