Business Development Director Helps Law Firms Go Green to Make Green
According to Alvidas Jasin (PDF), director of business development for Thompson Hine, one of the surest ways to incite eco-friendly practices inside law firms comes from a different kind of green: money.
More corporations are “going green” and are focusing on being environmentally conscious, Jasin says. “That means hiring law firms that are green, too.”
“In-house counsels want to know about law firms’ commitments to eco-friendly practices and sustainability,” Jasin says. “Some have even made it part of their vendor criteria, including law firms.”
Additionally, many firms have launched externally focused green practices, such as Thompson Hine’s Climate Change and Sustainable Business Solutions, to guide clients through complex issues such as energy regulation, carbon management and implementing clean technology.
But, Jasin warns, a firm “can’t launch that kind of practice with any credibility if the firm itself isn’t green.” That’s where Jasin steps in.
Nearly two years ago, Jasin was trained by former Vice-President Al Gore to be one of 1,000 “global warming messengers” as part of The Climate Project. Today, Jasin has presented Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, more than 60 times to law firms and colleagues in the legal industry.
Although Gore has tapped volunteers across a wide spectrum of fields, including lawyers, Jasin says he isn’t aware of any other participants with his focus. “I give a lot of presentations on a national level on legal marketing and thought I might have an interesting audience that I could target with the message: law firms.” He says he tailored Gore’s initiative to target specific ways firms, lawyers and staff could reduce their environmental impact.
Using accrued vacation time and accepting reimbursement only for travel costs, Jasin visits law firms across the U.S. to help launch “green sessions” to teach firm leaders and personnel the importance of eco-friendly practices and reinvigorate firms with established environmental efforts.
At Thompson Hine, Jasin formed a “THink Green” team committed to reducing the firm’s carbon footprint by doing things such as using electronic invitations to holiday receptions, encouraging double-sided printing, and creating a “freecycle” bulletin board for colleagues looking to get rid of household items.
