Junior Lawyers and Climate Change

Climate Change

Junior Lawyers and Climate Change

World temperatures are rising and we continue to be presented with evidence that we are now living in the midst of a climate crisis. How is this affecting junior lawyers and the firms they work for?

What do junior lawyers look for?

Climate change is a topic that is increasingly top-of-mind for us all, but younger generations are strongly pushing the agenda. In the legal world, junior lawyers, trainees and students alike are increasingly looking at how firms are responding to the climate crisis and their eco-friendly credentials are becoming a much more important factor in career decisions, often influencing where they choose to work.

Those seeking out training contracts or considering a lateral move may once have focused only on a firm’s pay and hours, but these days junior and prospective lawyers are also looking at a firm’s contribution to environmental initiatives, pledges to reduce emissions and sustainability efforts before choosing to apply or accepting an offer. Those with very strong views may even choose not to pursue a role at certain firms if they undertake work for clients in polluting industries, for example.

It is unsurprising then that Legal Cheek, a popular resource for those seeking training contracts, has included “Eco-friendliness” as a category on its “The Firms Most List 2022”, which scores UK firms on a framework against criteria such as work-life balance, pay and diversity. Furthermore, in August 2021, a group of US law students published the 2021 Law Firm Climate Scorecard, which gave a number of UK firms an “F” for their contribution to climate change through transactional work and litigation for clients in the fossil fuel industry. This is evidence that young and prospective lawyers’ expectations in relation to the contribution of firms to the climate crisis are high and continuing to increase.

Junior lawyers, trainees and students may be reflecting on their own current (or future) role in the climate crisis and asking whether a firm’s values align with their own. Indeed, it is becoming more common for prospective lawyers to ask about a firm’s green credentials at training contract interviews when weighing up offers. Those firms engaging constructively with reducing their carbon footprint will likely attract and retain more top talent in the coming years.

How can junior lawyers contribute to combating climate change?

In the wake of the pandemic, many firms are reviewing their working policies in order to decide what form of hybrid working they wish to implement going forwards. This period of change is unprecedented in the legal industry - lawyers are notoriously hesitant to accept change. For those junior lawyers interested in steering their firms towards a greener future, this is the perfect opportunity to get involved.

Many firms are conducting surveys to assess how employees wish to work in the future. These surveys are a perfect opportunity to feed back to management the desire to become more environmentally friendly, and to provide practical suggestions which your firm can implement. By actively putting forward proposals for change or encouraging your firm to get involved with wider climate change initiatives (such as The Planet Mark or the Legal Sustainability Alliance), junior lawyers can demonstrate and impress with their awareness of the wider commercial world and how the business operates.

For example, at Farrer & Co, firm initiatives are primarily run by junior lawyers and trainees (supported and encouraged by management where appropriate) who are interested in helping the firm to “go green” and junior employees are actively encouraged to make suggestions to management. Farrer & Co even encourages prospective trainees to get involved, challenging vacation scheme students to complete an assignment about the firm’s green initiatives. This encourages students on the scheme to speak to people in the firm, think critically and come up with creative ways the firm could improve sustainability. It encourages students to engage with those who are involved in CR initiatives (and also those who aren’t) to find out about current efforts and levels of awareness amongst employees.

Change does not have to be massive to make a difference. Simple changes like offering recycling bins, reusable takeaway cups and cardboard (rather than plastic) containers in the firm café and reducing printing will go a long way to reducing employee waste. Firms can alter their electronics (their lights, computers, printers, etc) so that they are sensor related and only turn on when staff are in the office. Firms who are more willing to make changes may consider increased facilities for cyclists, more sustainable energy suppliers, and less business travel with the increase of hybrid working patterns. All of these changes will lead to firms’ carbon footprints decreasing, and I would encourage every junior lawyer to speak up where they think their firm’s policies can be improved.

By presenting ideas in a positive way which support both the environment and the business, junior lawyers will be listened to – so be confident and put your own suggestions forward. The climate crisis shows no sign of abating and we know that businesses can no longer ignore it. Everyone has a part to play in making their firm more green – after all, it will affect all of us. ■

Suzanna Eames

Suzanna Eames

Vice-Chair of the Junior Lawyers Division

This article has been written with the assistance of Lise Whelan, trainee at Farrer & Co.