Modern Law Magazine Issue 67

INTERVIEWS
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Stakeholder engagement is crucial
for sustainable practices. How can
firms actively engage with clients,
employees, and communities
to ensure alignment with
sustainability goals and values?
Transparent communication is
paramount—regular updates on
sustainability initiatives build trust and
accountability with clients, employees,
and the community. Collaborating with
clients to understand their sustainability
expectations integrates these values into
legal initiatives. Employee involvement
is crucial, fostering a sustainable
culture through feedback, awareness
programmes, and training. Actively
participating in community outreach,
such as supporting local sustainability
projects, reinforces the firm’s commitment
to shared environmental and social
goals. Forming partnerships and alliances
amplifies the impact of sustainability
initiatives and broadens the support
network. Sustainability should be
integrated into the firm’s core values,
guiding decision-making processes
and operations. Educating clients on
sustainable legal practices and providing
resources facilitates their integration
into business initiatives. Regular
sustainability reporting demonstrates
commitment to improvement. Supporting
employee volunteering and incentivizing
sustainable practices fosters a positive
environment and strengthens connections
with stakeholders. Through these
initiatives, law firms can actively engage
stakeholders, creating a collaborative
approach to sustainability that aligns
with the values and goals of clients,
employees, and the wider community.
Collaboration is often key
to advancing sustainability
goals. Can you discuss any
partnerships or collaborations
that the LSA has entered into
with other organisations or law
firms to drive sustainability
initiatives forward?
The LSA itself is a mixture of 120 law
firms and is built on collaboration. LSA
also collaborates with the Chancery
Lane Project, and the Law Society to
roll out the Guidance on Sustainability
in the new year. We liaise with the Net
Zero Lawyers Alliance and many other
initiatives, and where it is possible to do
so, we collaborate. Collaborations across
our industry sector are key, and the
educational element of that is important,
but collaboration for legal professionals
is a multi-disciplinary area.
What long-term goals and
strategies does The Law Society
have in place to further its
commitment to combating
climate change through the
legal profession?
The Law Society is going to build on the
guidance that is already out there, and
also produce sector-specific guidance,
in which the work is already underway.
We are also speaking with the SRA on
whether regulations are necessary in
the area, as our guidance is voluntary.
The regulators are watching the space
as to whether anything mandatory is
required. So, watch this space. There is
a role to play there in developing those
regulations. Once again education is key
and The Law Society’s aim is to make sure
lawyers are informed and up-to-date with
the latest information and guidance.
“Collaborations
across our industry
sector are key.”
Do you think that any of the
guidance will become mandatory,
and do you think it should?
I think it’s a possibility that there will be
mandatory guidance, particularly around
solicitors’ duty of care and responsibility.
These are the areas that I think will
become mandatory first. It’s already here
to some extent. Do I think there should
be some guidance made mandatory?
Yes. I think there should be, depending
on what it is. I think that unless you have
a framework against which to judge, it is
very difficult to drive standards of what
is required and what is a benchmark.
As with everything in society, I think
you need the law and the framework to
govern the area so people know what is
expected of them.
Finally, what advice would you
like to give to every lawyer on the
topic of sustainability?
Educate yourself about how it affects
your practice, and get involved. Educated
involvement is key.
Caroline May,
Co-Chair, LSA
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