GREEN LAW IN L.A.

Just a quick first report from Los Angeles, where LegalTech West Coast has been an absolute whirlwind. Congrats to Henry Dicker and his team for a terrific event -- with attendance up 85% from last year's LA show! WOW!

We were absolutely thrilled that our first "Green Law: A Leadership Challenge" was a standing-room-only success!

Despite the short obligatory tech problems, we got off to a roaring presentation, launched by Alvidas Jasin (right), biz dev director at Thompson Hine. He set the stage with a mini-version of Al Gore's slide show from An Inconvenient Truth. His presentation gave an overview of some of the key science in the climate crisis.

Alvidas' March Green Law column, "One Light at a Time," which details his training experience and offers tips for firms, is here.

Tony Hoke was a sub for MoFo's global technology director Ed Jorczyk-- and did a SUPER job in his very first public speaking gig as he detailed some of the programs at Morrison & Foerster. Hoke focused his presentation on specific projects that our IT community can launch -- to use technology to reduce firm costs, improve the workspace, and be environmentally responsible.

Among his tips:

* Replace CRT monitors with LCD flat screens, which require less desk space, last longer, reduce emitted heat, and consume less power. Annual MoFo savings: 619 megawatts, or enough energy to run 58 American homes.

* Use third-party recyclers to donate used equipment to non-profits.

* Use remanufactured toner cartridges and prevent 7.2 tons of empty cartridges from going to landfill.

* Consolidate servers and use "virtual" servers, which saves 830 megawatts of power, the equivalent of energy required to run 78 homes.

Tony's PowerPoint is here: Download LTWCGL3.PPT
Tony's April LTN Green Law column, "Waste Not, Want Not," here.

Bruce Lymburn, partner at Wendel Rosen focused on the leadership issues of creating a "green" program at your firm or company. Among his pointers, he suggested that firms be sure to include both attorneys and support staff in planning; be patient; appeal to both altruism and the economic benefits, and follow established programs (such as the Bay Area's Green Business Program. Wendel Rosen hired a consultant to help them craft their plan, he said. 

Bruce's PowerPoint is here: Download LTWC-GL2.PPT
May LTN Green Law column, "Leading the Evolution," here.

Matthew Heartney, a partner at Arnold & Porter, talked about how his firm was instrumental in working with the ABA and EPA to create a Climate Challenge for law firms. A&P served as a "beta" for developing the policies, and the firm focused much of its efforts on paper issues. Partner Jonathan Martel, who is very active in the ABA's environmental law section, took the lead, said Heartney.

Lawyers,  he notes, use about 20,000-100,000 pieces of paper every year; equalling up to 100 billion profession-wide, which generates up to 4.2 million tons of C02 emissions every year. Among the ways this can be reduced: use recycled paper; duplex printing; reduced d.p.i. settings. Law firms that meet these goals will be recognized as a Climate Challenge Partner in the ABA program, he says. The ABA program also offers two other components, "Green Power Partnership," and "Energy Star" -- offering tips to reduce energy consumption.

Matthew's PowerPoint is here: Download LTWCGL4.PPT
June LTN Green Law column, about the ABA program, by Jonathan Martel, here.

  Special, warm thanks to Fios Inc. for going above and beyond in sponsoring the lunch. The provided a wonderful buffett lunch, with locally grown produce, and several terrific giveaways (including a great boat tote bag).

Update: If you missed the LT West Coast Green Law panel, I'll be moderating another at August's ILTA. Watch here for 411.

Update 2: Here's a link to all the powerpoints.

Photo by Russ Curtis.