Does your law firm represent fossil fuel companies, or otherwise fight to prolong the use of fossil fuels?
Now there’s a way to find out: an organization called Law Students For Climate Accountability (LSCA) has created a scorecard for the top 100 law firms in the U.S., ranking them according to how much fossil fuel work they do. Disclosure: I’m a supporter of and advisor to LSCA.
Here’s a summary of their most recent ‘scorecard’ for the top U.S. law firms:
Using third party data, LSCA each year methodically calculates a ‘climate score’ for each of the top firms, based on fossil fuel work they do in three categories: litigation, transactions, and lobbying. (You can download the full 2022 scorecard here)
Why does this matter? Because the battle against fossil fuels is an economic race against time, and fossil fuels are winning. Largely because they have a lot of money – and lawyers – on their side.
To slow the climate crisis, we must convince powerful people and organizations to switch sides on climate, to stop being part of the problem.
And when it comes to powerful, law firms are right up there.
So if you employ one of these top 100 U.S. law firms, ask them why their climate score is so bad and when they’re going to stop taking fossil fuel clients and cases. If you use a smaller or regional firm that’s not on this list, ask them anyway.
The only way law firms will stop abetting climate destruction is if they believe it’s become a liability for them in the market, with current and potential clients.
Help LSCA Change The Legal Industry
Law Students For Climate Accountability was started in 2020 by a handful of students at east coast law schools, and has now spread throughout the country with students organizing at dozens of law schools.
Their mission is to change minds and behavior in the legal industry about climate, from law students to young associates to senior partners and their largest clients. And LSCA’s climate scorecard seems to be working, garnering press worldwide like this article in The Guardian, and sparking conversations at many major law firms.
Want to help get law firms to stop driving climate destruction?
You can donate to LSCA here (via their 501c3 fiscal sponsor, Earth Island Institute). Or if you want to discuss making a bigger donation or supporting them in some other way, get in touch with LSCA’s National Director Haley Czarnek at haley [at] ls4ca.org.