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How The Gatekeepers Decide Who Gets In
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Go Green

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 20 - Eating Green)

Posted: June 16th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part nineteen of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed what to do when you want to remodel the office. This week we will turn our focus towards the food that you eat when you are at work.

The work day for most of us starts in the morning and ends in the evening. This unfortunately covers a long period of time, including the time when we like to eat lunch. And how you eat can affect how “green” you are.

Ordering in or picking up from a local place is a sure fire way to increase trash and paper waste. When going out to eat or picking something up, it can be best to look for a place that is environmentally conscious. There are a number of ways you can learn how and where to eat in a more environmentally conscious way. Here is a site (http://www.dinegreen.com/customers/) to find restaurants that have been deemed “green” by the Green Restaurant Association.

Ordering in can be made more efficient if you treat lunch orders by the group instead of individually. Large group orders save additional waste by combining things like plastic eatery, bags, and containers. It also limits travel of those that are delivering the food.

Of course the most environmentally friendly way to eat at work is to bring it with you in a reusable container. In an earlier post in this series we discussed using coffee mugs and water bottles that can be reused instead of thrown out. In this case, prepare a sandwich or some leftovers and bring it to work in some Tupperware each day. This can drop your personal waste from lunch down to zero and help make the office even more green.

Past Installments in this Series
Part One – An Introduction to Going Green
Part Two – Cut Electricity Costs, Just Flip the Switch
Part Three – Forget Paper, Go Digital
Part Four – Travel Together, Travel Less
Part Five – We Recycle
Part Six – Natural Lighting
Part Seven – Know Your Gadgets
Part Eight – Setting Goals
Part Nine – Reusable Bottles and Mugs
Part Ten - Setting Employee Incentives
Part Eleven - Green Products for You
Part Twelve – Greening Your Mail
Part Thirteen – Representing Green Clients
Part Fourteen – Incentives to Work Remotely
Part Fifteen – Greener News Alternatives
Part Sixteen – Incentives to Travel Smarter
Part Seventeen – Reduce Marketing Waste
Part Eighteen – Offset Carbon Emissions
Part Nineteen – Recycling Your Office

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 19 - Remodeling and Recycling)

Posted: June 9th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part nineteen of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed offsetting carbon emissions by giving back to the environment. This week we will turn our focus towards remodeling, retooling, and recycling the big stuff.

In any office, there is an assortment of “stuff”. There are tables, chairs, desks, shelves, bookcases, pictures, posters, clocks, etc. Most offices are filled with stuff, and eventually all of that stuff gets old.

Whenever you decide that it is time to update the look and feel of your office, you should think about how you plan on disposing of the old furniture and various décor that you are getting rid of. There are ways to do it that can help you save some money, as well as reduce your overall waste.

Recycling is an option, and it can be done in a number of ways. You can take advantage of eBay or Craigslist to sell old furniture, and whatever else you have, to some people who may be looking for cheap stuff. It is an easy way to get the unwanted stuff off of your hands and make a little money to pay for the replacements at the same time.

There are also companies that will come collect your stuff and take care of the entire process for you. Use groups like Freesharing and Freecycle to move out unwanted items. You can find some great deals through these organizations as well.

You can also donate everything that you plan on getting rid of to an organization that may be in need. Maybe there is a local community center, lodge or library that is looking to add furniture and decoration but don’t have the funds to spend. Donating to them is a great way to give back to your community, while eliminating unnecessary waste at the same time.

And always remember, when buying the new stuff for your office, there are companies that are more efficient and sustainable than others. Search online for environmentally sound products and companies, or use directories and guides like this one.

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney�s Guide to Going Green (Part 18 - Offset Carbon Emissions)

Posted: June 2nd, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part eighteen of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed greener options for marketing and communication with new and existing clients. This week we will turn our focus towards what you can do to offset your carbon emissions.

No matter what you do to limit the amount of travel for members of your law firm, it is impossible to reduce carbon emissions to zero in the real world. But there are things that you can do to give back to the environment in order to offset those harmful emissions.

You can participate in various “give back to the environment” activities in your community. For example, you can sponsor a tree planting or a park cleanup once a month. There are usually local groups that try to raise money for initiatives like this all the time. You can take an active role by reaching out to them and offering a donation that will help them get the job done.

You can also donate or invest in local businesses who are working towards a cleaner environment. For example, local wind farms or other clean energy organizations looking for funding to increase productivity.

This type of venture not only helps you to offset the negative impact you may still have on the environment, but it is a strong PR move. If more firms start to associate themselves with organizations who are cleaning up our environment, whether they are for profit or not, the trend will continue to spread across the country.

If you do not have the time to commit to reaching out to these events or organizations yourself, there are a number of websites that make it even easier. One example is www.carbonfund.org, which lets you calculate your average carbon emissions and donate an equal amount by credit card right on the website. The goal here is sustainability, and if you get to the point where you balance the negatives with the positives, you are doing your part to promote sustainability across the globe. Offsetting carbon emissions is a great way to accomplish that.

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney�s Guide to Going Green (Part 17 - Reduce Marketing Waste)

Posted: May 26th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part seventeen of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed employee incentives as they relate to traveling to and from work. This week we will talk about the various mailers, marketing pieces, and announcements that you distribute.

Most lawyers and law firms are constantly looking for ways to grow their practice and build awareness in any way possible. Mailers are a very popular tool for reaching potential clients, holding on to existing clients, and spreading news about your firm. Mailers include case announcements, newsletters, marketing materials, and calendars that are distributed by the firm.

To date, most or all of these things are paper products sent through the mail. We know from past parts in this series that this creates an inordinate amount of waste, and it’s not the most efficient way of doing things. Here are a few suggestions on how you can “market” your firm in newer, cleaner ways.

1. Email Newsletters. Instead of traditional newsletters, there are now a number of third party clients that can help you distribute an email newsletter. You can include all the same things as your old newsletter, but make it more environmentally friendly by making it digital. Icontact.com is a website that we use at Lawline.com to distribute emails to our members.

2. Online Ads. Instead of sending out huge amounts of paper ads and marketing pieces, increase the amount of money you spend advertising online. More and more people are focusing things like finding a lawyer online through search engines and directories. Target your advertising on Google, Yahoo, and various organizations or networks to spread the word about your firm in a new capacity.

3. Social Networks. Get your law firm involved in social networks so people have a place to go online to find out more about you. You already have a website, but starting a blog or creating your own group in Facebook or a similar website gives you new ways to connect with existing clients and other people you have a relationship with.

4. Green Mailers. If you still see the value in physical mailers, you can limit their impact on the environment by using recycled paper products and “green” mailing companies. Most third party printing and mailing companies now offer a recycled paper option. This reduces waste and makes paper mailing a little cleaner.

There are many options when it comes to marketing and branding. Above are four good examples of how you can boost your marketing efforts in ways that minimize your impact on the environment. Stay ahead of the game.

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 16 - Incentivize Smarter Travel)

Posted: May 19th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part sixteen of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed how you can change your news consumption habits to be more efficient. This week we will turn the focus back on employee incentives as they have to do with travel.

In part 14, we discussed the need for employers to incentivize their employees to work from home by making it easier to do so. Ideas included an allowance for laptops, building an easy to use network that all employees have remote access to, and training sessions on how to set up various tools to work from the road.

Sometimes, working remotely and working from home is not an option. Sometimes, you have no choice but to be in the office. And that is fine, as long as you are getting there the right way. In part 4 of this series, we discussed the need to “Travel Together, and Travel Less”. For employers, it’s time to start incentivizing your lawyers and support staff to travel smarter.

There are a number of ways to travel smarter. You can take public transportation, when available. You can drive a hybrid or electric vehicle that is more efficient and less harmful to the environment. And you can travel with friends and co-workers to cut down on the number of cars on the road.

Employers can use money or other perks to get your employees to think about these alternative methods of travel. Offer to pay for bus and train tickets for those employees that go with public transportation. Offer a partial allowance for all hybrid vehicle purchases by your employees. Or come up with a bonus structure for people that carpool or rideshare to work.

Sometimes that is all it will take to get people to start thinking about the way they travel. And as more and more people travel to and from work in more efficient ways, we will begin to solve many problems associated with CO2 emissions and congestion.

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 15 - Lose the Newspaper)

Posted: May 12th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part fifteen of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed incentives for law firms who encourage their lawyers to work remotely. This week we will focus on the news.

The news is an essential part of most people’s daily routines. It is customary to pick up a newspaper first thing in the morning, read it on your way into work, and even take some time throughout the day to catch up on what’s going on in your area and around the world. For many people, it would be unthinkable to go a whole day without the news.

The problem is, newspapers are not good for the environment. The good news is, we live in an age when you can get all your news without a single piece of paper. The environmental, and even financial, cost of information has plummeted, and its time to take advantage.

Take a look at this article on TechCrunch this morning. It shows how 1 newspaper is 850 times worse for the environment than a Google search. You can use Google to find all the articles and blog posts that you need right on the web. But if that sounds too difficult, just go straight to the source. Odds are that the newspaper you read every morning has a website, with all those article you love to read.

If you need the news to support you during your morning and evening commute, then take that information on the go in alternative forms. Most smart phones, like Blackberry and iPhone, allow you to browse the internet or use various applications to read articles from almost any source. However, because of the size of those screens and the difficulty that many people have reading them, it’s not for everyone.

What you should be checking out, however, is the Amazon Kindle. Amazon already has an exclusive deal with the New York Times, and the future of this new gadget is bright. It is light weight, easy to read off of, and continues to add features and sign partnerships. This is the new standard in commuter reading, and they are only getting more popular.

So drop the newspaper, and pick up your news from any of these sources. You will be doing yourself a favor in cost savings, and doing the planet a favor by limiting the use of paper and waste.

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 14 - Working Remotely)

Posted: May 5th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part fourteen of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed your ability to represent “green” clients. This week we will focus on law firms who encourage their employees to work from home more often.

“Lawyers at the Newark firm Sills Cummis get a $3,000 allowance to buy laptops so they can work from home rather than idle in traffic.” That is a line in this story from NJ.com, written in August of last year, and the #1 ranked page for the search term “law firms going green”.

That symbolizes that in order for law firms to truly initiate any kind of green policies, they have to incentivize their employees to get on board. We discussed this previously in part ten of this blog series, but it is worth noting that unless your employees buy into a more environmentally friendly law firm, it just won’t happen.

Encouraging employees to work from home is a great way to get them to buy into the system. People like to work from home, and if it is allowed, you will see many people take advantage of it. Your job is to tell them why they should be working from home, and make it as easy as possible for them to do so without falling behind.

An allowance to buy a new laptop is one great way to make working remotely more convenient. In addition, you could have an IT professional set up a program on everyone’s computer so that the lawyers can log in from outside the office. That same IT person could also demonstrate to everyone at the firm how to use it properly.

Another helpful thing would include a database of information that people could access from outside the office. If there are a lot of people working on one case, it makes sense that anyone working from home has access to all the same files that people in the office have access to. This means a secure website and a sophisticated scanning system that allows files to be shared among a limitless number of people.

Sometimes, working from home is simply not an option. Next week we will dive into further incentives that can help limit travel, or encourage smarter travel.

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney�s Guide to Going Green (Part 13 - Represent Green Clients)

Posted: April 28th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part thirteen of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed your ability to cut down on physical mail, to reduce waste and make you more efficient. This week we will focus on your practice, and how you can help the world go green by representing green companies.

There are many firms out there that are starting to see the value in representing companies that are trying to go green. This is a growing area of the law, one that is sure to provide some exciting and groundbreaking cases.

I have previously written about a couple of firms that are practicing in this area here and here. You can see that these firms are expanding their current practice, and even creating new divisions to handle clients that are working in across various green industries, such as alternative energy. Since a lot of what these companies are relatively new, much of the law has yet to be written.

In addition, the stimulus plan, and other measures taken by Barack Obama and his administration are geared toward helping to make the country more efficient. Companies that practice environmentally friendly business, and focus on creating new sources of energy, are going to get a lot of help from this administration’s policies.

So what can you do? Research. Read up on new rules and changes in this area of the law. Start to talk to other attorneys that you know or work with who are also interested in this area. Then, whether you are on your own, or working in a larger firm, find out what you can do to get new clients in this area. Promote yourself as someone who is versed in clean technology law, or energy law, or even business law.

This is not for everyone. But for those that are interested and have the necessary background, this is a prime example of something you can do to help society move forward towards a greener future. These companies are trying to help us, and they will need good representation to get the job done. You can be the attorney or law firm they need.

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 12 - Greening your Mail)

Posted: April 22nd, 2009
By: Christie LaBarca
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part twelve of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. We are happy to celebrate Earth Day here at Lawline.com. It is important to remember though that every day is Earth Day. We must always take initiative in implementing green policies that attorneys and employees will follow. Today we will talk about ways for attorneys and businesses to go green involving their mail.

Most of us get hundreds of unwanted catalogs, flyers, and other types of advertisements in the mail every year. This is especially true for businesses and law firms. Instead of merely throwing them in the trash, there are many ways to reduce this type of unsolicited material.

Firstly, if you continuously get advertisements from an organization you have no interest in, give them a call or shoot them an e-mail and let them know to take you off their mailing list. If it is a company that you are familiar with and sometimes potentially order from, or use, ask them if they have an online form of newsletter or catalog that you can be e-mailed to your directly. Not only will this reduce paper waste, but it will also be easier for you to access at your convenience. It is also important to take caution when signing up for programs or purchasing something. Many companies will ask you if you’re interested in receiving offers in the mail, if they give you the option, select receiving by e-mail instead of snail mail.

Businesses can also do all of their billing and banking on the internet in replacement of receiving paper bills and mailing out checks. This creates less clutter and makes everything a lot easier. Most companies allow you to pay your bills online (credit cards, phone companies, etc) and generally they keep record of your statements (for access) for a particular amount of years.

When it is necessary that you use snail-mail instead of e-mail, try to use recycled materials. When receiving and sending packages, you can reuse the same packaging material. It is usually simple to just put labels over previously used addresses. This will also save you money on purchasing these materials.

Lastly, if you move and change your address, ensure that your address is updated and that the mail comes to the correct place. This way, you don’t have to get sent the same thing twice and there will be less trash circulating around. When people receive mail that is not theirs, they usually just throw it in the garbage.

Initiating a campaign to reduce mail waste will help the environment in unprecedented ways. Attorneys and law firms should take the lead in setting such standards because collectively we can efficiently make change happen.

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 11 - Green Products for You)

Posted: April 15th, 2009
By: Christie LaBarca
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part eleven of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we talked about how educating and rewarding your employees will help to implement a change in environmental behavior. This week we will be discuss different products and devices that advance and ease the effort to go green.

1) Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs): Fill the office with the CFLs instead of the standardized light bulb. Not only do these light bulbs require 75% less energy, but they also last ten times longer. In the long run, you’ll end up saving money on buying the short-lived light bulbs over and over again. And your energy bill will be lower as well.

2) Reusable Cloths: Washing out environmentally friendly coffee mugs requires drying them as well. Instead of constantly using paper towels this is a much more efficient method of drying not only mugs, but anything that you may wash in the office.

3) Recycled Copy/Printing Paper: Although you should refrain from doing so as much as possible, we know that sometimes it is necessary to use paper. In this case you should use recycled paper. It is sometimes a little pricier than regular priced paper, but if you shop around and buy in large amounts, you can find a decent deal.

4) Reusable Kitchenware: We used to keep everything from paper plates to plastic spoons and knives in the office. Slowly we have been fading that out as we use washable and reusable mugs and other kitchenware. Just because it is an office, doesn’t mean kitchenware is off limits. By doing this we produce much less waste.

5) Plants: Having plants around the office not only helps in increasing oxygen but it is an essentially reminder to employees to stay focused in the company’s effort to go green.

6) Mountain Bikes: We figured we would throw this last one in for fun. If applicable, how much gas would you save by riding a bike to work instead of driving? Okay, we get it, many of you take public transportation…but with fares rising to outrageous numbers (ahem…New York), it may not seem like a bad idea.

All of these products will help the legal community in the global effort to go green. We each make a small difference, but in the long run; the collective effort will have a big impact.

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 10 - Setting Employee Incentives)

Posted: April 7th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part ten of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed how reusable water bottles and coffee mugs can cut down on the waste that your practice produces. This week we will focus on educating and rewarding employees to encourage them to buy into the environmental standards you set.

Let’s face it, the human condition is to go with the status quo, especially when there is no incentive to change your ways. Just because you implement a set of Green initiatives to help your practice become more environmentally friendly, does not mean that people want to adhere to them. Sure, you can threaten them with punishments, but that will lower morale and only force people to try just so hard.

A better way to deal with the situation is to make it more exciting. Just like any other system that you implement, going green will take a group effort. Set up contests and rewards for following the new guidelines and going above and beyond the expectations. The person who is most environmentally friendly each month gets a small cash bonus, however you want to measure that.

Also, take one day a week, or twice a month, and plan a “green education” event. Invite guest speakers to present new ideas on how people can be more efficient and work better to help the environment. These can be fun and informative, and help spread the idea of environmentalism around the office.

If you are serious about going green at the office, these are two steps that you can take to insure that the others at the office are on board as well. The most important idea to take out of this is when people are excited about something, it is much easier to move forward with it. Create a workplace that encourages this type of enthusiasm about going green and you will be much more likely to inspire real change.

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 9 - Reusable Bottles and Mugs)

Posted: March 31st, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part nine of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed the positive effects that recycling can have on your business and on the environment. This week we will focus on drinking.

When you are at work, you are most likely drinking various beverages throughout the day. The majority of us can’t make it through the day without our morning coffee, and maybe afternoon coffee as well. And in between we may knock back countless glasses of water, or cans and bottles of any other drink that we can get our hands on.

But most offices, no matter where they may be, use plastic, paper and Styrofoam cups. And most offices simply throw them out after use. That creates a whole lot of waste that can be avoided in a few simple ways.

Obviously, whenever possible, we should recycle products like this. And never, should we ever use Styrofoam. But instead of using a lot of different containers to drink out of, discarding each after a drink or two, why not use some sort of renewable container that will last.

In the office, get everyone their own coffee mugs that they can use over and over. Instead of wasting a cup every time, these mugs will allow everyone in the office the ability to enjoy their coffee in a more environmentally friendly way.

And it is the same with water. A reusable water bottle can go a long way toward eliminating waste. Nalgene bottles became the hit of the day when they emerged on the scene as the indestructible water bottle. If everyone in the office had their own Nalgene bottle, it would eliminate the need for plastic cups at the watering hole.

More reusable items means less waste, and less waste means a healthier planet.

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 8 - Setting Green Goals)

Posted: March 24th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part eight of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed the positive effects that recycling can have on your business and on the environment. This week we will focus on setting goals.

We can talk about tips and tricks to go green all day long. But at the end of the day, if you don’t set any concrete goals, you’ll never get anything done. It’s just like anything else, talking does nothing without a real way to measure the outcome. So let’s start setting some goals around your home or office that you can measure.

You can begin by taking a look at your utility bills. The month before you start to institute any new green policy, look at how much gas, electricity, water, etc. that you consume. If one thing you are trying to change is your electricity consumption, measure it in the money that you save from month to month. Set a goal to lower your monthly electric bill by 10%. That way you can go back and measure how effective your new policies really were.

Next, take a look at some other items that your practice “consumes”. Reimburse employees for gas or transit, but cap it at a certain level so you can see how many people use less. Reimburse employees only for public transportation and see how many switch from driving to taking the train or bus.

Also, if you follow our advice and try to use less paper, set a limit on the number of boxes of paper you purchase a month. Or measure the frequency which you have to change the ink cartridges in the printers to see if you can go longer periods of time in between each change.

All of these are ways that you can measure the effectiveness of green initiatives. And with measurement, come rewards and/or punishments. Give people a reason to reach these goals, either financial or otherwise. Over the long run, these new policies will have a better chance of sticking and you will be doing more to help the environment.

Past Installments in this Series
Part One – An Introduction to Going Green
Part Two – Cut Electricity Costs, Just Flip the Switch
Part Three – Forget Paper, Go Digital
Part Four – Travel Together, Travel Less
Part Five – We Recycle
Part Six – Natural Lighting
Part Seven – Know Your Gadgets

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 7 - Know Your Gadgets)

Posted: March 18th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part seven of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed the positive effects that recycling can have on your business and on the environment. This week we will focus on gadgets.

As lawyers, we can use an endless list of gadgets to help us get more utility and joy out of the job. You may own some sort of portable music player, a smart phone, an additional cell phone, digital reader, laptop, etc. Each of these things is an accessory that has become commonplace in the world today. Some of them have almost become necessities if you want to keep up.

And though we always like to have the latest and greatest technologies available, it is important to remember that gadgets such as these use energy, and become waste in only a few short years when they grow old. They are impacting the environment as much as any other product that we consume.

But there are ways to go green in your gadgetry. First, before buying any new product you can compare them for environmental stats. For example, Consumer Reports and Energy Star ratings can show you which products and companies are better for the environment. Also, you can consider recycling an old gadget when it is not vital to obtain a new one.

Your purchasing decision is one of the most important decisions you can make when it comes to the environment. But if you can’t choose the gadget that is the most eco-friendly, consider a few other steps you can take to minimalize its impact. Charge it with renewable energy, use the gadget as long as you can, use it for as much as possible (limiting your need for additional gadgets), and recycle it when you are finished with it.

Each of these steps will go a long way towards limiting your gadgets’ carbon footprints. It is better for the environment, and requires little effort for you. The smallest of steps can have a positive reaction, and we all owe that to each other.

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 6 - Natural Lighting)

Posted: March 11th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part six of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed the positive effects that recycling can have on your business and on the environment. This week we will focus on setting up the office to utilize natural lighting.

Artificial lighting will account for about 40% of electricity use in any office environment. But there are many ways that you can cut that down. One such way, which we touched on earlier in this series, is turning off the lights in unused offices and making sure not to use lighting when you are out of the office for the day or night.

Another way to cut the amount of electricity you use at the office is to utilize natural light. Though you may not have much say about the way your office is set up, you can always make suggestions to others. And office managers should always be open to suggestions about how they can save money in very easy ways.

The sun provides all of the light you will need on a good day. Proper windows with open shades or curtains allow enough light into the office that you will need to use much less artificial light, if any at all. You can put desks closer to windows, keep areas as clean as possible, limit the number of walls and blockages, etc. And where you need to set up walls, don’t use walls that extend all the way to the ceiling. Instead, put glass in to allow for light to escape.

Taking advantage of natural lighting will not eliminate your need for electricity. But hopefully it will lessen the amount of lighting that you need in the office, and the amount of time those lights need to stay on. The lower your electricity cost is, the better it is for business, and less affect you are having on the environment. Congrats!

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 5 - Recycling)

Posted: March 4th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part five of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed travel costs, both monetary and environmental. We realized that by limiting travel and gas expenditures, you can help your wallet while helping to do your part to save the planet. This week we will focus on recycling.

Recycling is something that we have heard about our entire lives. It seems like this was the answer to all of our problems in past. Well, it is still one of the most important things that we can do to help the environment. In addition, it is still something that most people do not pay attention to.

As we discussed in a previous post, many lawyers use a lot of paper. It is just something that comes with the territory. In part 3 of this series, we talked about ways to reduce paper usage. But, no matter what, there will always be paper waste. That is why recycling is so important. Throwing all that paper in the trash is one of the most hurtful things that you can do as an attorney to our environment.

Most times, it is just as easy to recycle as it is to throw something in the trash, so in those cases you have no excuse. Sometimes, you have to make the extra effort to find recycling centers are discuss recycling options with your building. Either way, the amount of waste that you will be saving is worth it.

In addition, as an outside the box suggestion, consider using printing services that use recycled paper. Many lawyers will print up materials for use in marketing, communication, or even materials for trial. It is important to realize that for just a small amount more, you can use a company that prints exclusively on recycled products. This helps the environment, and helps out other companies with the health of our planet in their business model.

Recycling is easy, and cheap, and should already be a part of your professional life. But if it’s not, then it’s time to start.

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney�s Guide to Going Green (Part 4 - Travel Together, Travel Less)

Posted: February 27th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part four of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we discussed the overuse of paper in the legal profession, and covered some simple ways that you can use digital technology to decrease the amount of paper that we waste on a daily basis. This week, let us cover another simple solution to a growing problem, gas and travel costs.

One of the biggest contributors to the destruction of our environment has always been the use of gasoline. It has been an issue debated at every level, and certainly needs greater solutions from the highest levels. But there are things that we can do every day that will help out on a smaller scale.

As lawyers, there are many things that you have to be in the office to do. But there are also a lot of things that you can do from home or at another remote location. Figuring out a schedule that works for you, it may be helpful, and beneficial to the environment if you can work remotely one or two days every week.

Technology allows you to log into your work computer from anywhere, send and receive files from your home computer or smart phone, and keep up with daily tasks from wherever you happen to be. Staying home will not only help save the environment, it will save you money on travel and electricity costs at the office.

In addition, no matter how tempting it can be to drive yourself to work every day, you can help out by simply taking public transportation or carpooling with friends or colleagues. Most cities today offer very convenient, and often environmentally friendly, public transportation systems. Take advantage of the options that you have in your area to become a “greener” attorney.

Past Installments in this Series
Part One – An Introduction to Going Green
Part Two – Cut Electricity Costs, Just Flip the Switch
Part Three – Forget Paper, Go Digital

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney�s Guide to Going Green (Part 3 - Forget Paper, Go Digital)

Posted: February 18th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to part three of our blog series on Going Green, dedicated to helping attorneys practice law in a more environmentally friendly way. Last week we introduced a very simple concept that lawyers, and everyone else, have heard time and again. Turn things off when you’re not using them. Yet too many people ignore the simple rule because it is just that, too simple. Here is a hint to help you in your quest to go green, sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. Small changes, if they are made by the majority, lead to positive outcomes.

In this part, we introduce an idea that is important in the legal profession, more so than other industries. Lawyers and law firms use a lot of paper. Boxes, cabinets, closets, and storage bins full or paper. It’s a simple fact, something that comes with the territory. And for those who recycle, good for you. But an even better, more efficient solution, is to cut your paper usage in some very basic ways.

First, take advantage of digital media. The internet and technology revolution has made it just as easy to keep “electronic” files as it is to keep paper files. Documents can be scanned, emailed, posted to the web, downloaded, and carried anywhere with the help of a laptop, phone, or flash drive.

The legal profession has to catch up with the times. Get rid of the wasteful usage of paper and you can cut time, energy, disposal costs, printing costs, and storage costs. Not to mention, you would be doing a service to the environment.

Part of going green means living a cleaner and more efficient lifestyle. Losing the paper dependency is one of these ideas that makes sense on every level. It will make your life easier, as well as help out those around you. At this point in time, in 2009, we have all but eliminated the need for paper. There is no reason that those in the legal profession need to continue to waste paper as much as we do.

If 50% of all lawyers cut their paper usage by 50% over the next year, we will not only save countless acres of precious forests, we will help to move the entire legal profession to a more efficient future. Stay tuned next week for another edition of Clean Lawyer.

Past Installments in this Series
Part One – An Introduction to Going Green
Part Two – Cut Electricity Costs, Just Flip the Switch

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney�s Guide to Going Green (Part 2 - Cut Electricity Costs)

Posted: February 10th, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

This is the second installment of the Clean Lawyer series, and already we have started to see some interesting trends. People around the legal community are eager to start instituting greener practices, some of them just don’t know how. Hopefully this series can be somewhat of a voice for that crowd. Most of the strategies or ideas that we talk about here are things that we have, or plan on implementing in our own offices.

To start, I wanted to go over some very simple, low cost things that you can do around your office (or home if that applies). Though each of these things are very small, they will have a larger overall impact when many people start to employ them. And I don’t care if you have heard it all before, because chances are you have yet to implement even the simplest of green initiatives.

First, start turning off everything that you are not using. That goes for the lights in the offices where no one is working, the appliances that are on during the day that don’t need to stay on at night, and the computers you are using. Computers do not need to run overnight, there is no reason for it. Though many computers have energy saving settings on them, it is best to shut them off and reboot them when you come in the next day.

By turning off all the things that use electricity around your office, you will be saving energy and cutting costs. Though the difference may be very small, it will add up over the long run. And if every single lawyer in the US started to do this, that would be a whole lot of energy savings to go around.

And it’s that easy to get started, so don’t take it for granted. Real change is only a click/switch/push away.

Past Installments in this Series:
Part One – An Introduction to Going Green

Clean Lawyer: An Attorney's Guide to Going Green (Part 1 - Introduction to Going Green)

Posted: February 2nd, 2009
By: Zach Heller
Category: Go Green, Innovation

Welcome to the first part of our series entitled, Clean Lawyer: An Attorney’s Guide to Going Green. This series is devoted to changing the world, no small task. The more we take a stand and change the way we live and work in the world, the more impact we can have on our environment (or less impact if that makes more sense).

In the legal profession, there are many things that we can do to reduce our carbon footprint on the world. And even the smallest of things, however insignificant as they may seem, can go a long way to reversing the trend that we have set for generations. If every lawyer in the world were to do just one thing differently, one more environmental friendly task, that would make a huge difference.

In each edition of this blog series, we will introduce something new that you or your firm can do to help the cause. Some of our suggestions may seem small and insignificant. Others may seem difficult and expensive. But all are doable, and all will help our society in the long run.

There are so many parts of your day to day life as a lawyer that you can change. And the benefits of these changes are too great to ignore. Not only will it benefit the environment, many of these changes will lower your operating costs, boost your promotional marketing, and leave your new and improved practice in better shape than ever before.

In 2009, Lawline.com turns 10 years old. We are celebrating this with some incredible new initiatives and business practices. It will be the year that Lawline.com goes Green, and we are sharing our knowledge and information with the rest of the legal community. Together, we can take small steps toward a cleaner, more efficient planet.

To see more about our mission, click here.

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