Self-Stimulation: What does the federal stimulus bill mean to me?

The unprecedented availability of federal stimulus money, particularly in the realm of green energy and efficiency, could be a tremendous opportunity if one knows how to gain access. The State of Ohio recently launched www.recovery.ohio.gov, to serve as Ohio’s interactive headquarters for all information regarding the federal stimulus package (aka the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, or “ARRA”). Similarly, the United States Green Building Council created its own compilation of Green Economic Recovery Resources (http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1962).

Through LNL’s membership in Meritas, an international affiliation of independent law firms, we offer access to additional resources such as a fantastic synopsis of the ARRA, prepared by our Chicago affiliate Goldberg Kohn (http://www.goldbergkohn.com/news-alerts-134.html). Talk to David Scott, or your own personal LNL attorney, about how your business can get a little stimulation for itself… Read more!

Meritas Green Guide Still Resonating

It’s been almost a year since LNL shareholder David Scott chaired the “Leadership Institute” of the Meritas international affiliation of law firms and helped create the Green Guide for sustainable law office practices. Yet still today the Green Guide is generating attention, this time in the March 2009 issue of California Lawyer. David’s fellow Leadership Institute member Caroline Mankey, with Meritas’ affiliate in Los Angeles, is quoted in the article:

How Green is your Firm?
By Rene Ciria-Cruz
The typical lawyer uses up to 100,000 sheets of paper in a year—creating 4.5 tons of carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse-gas emissions, according to Arnold & Porter, a Washington, D.C., law firm.

To help law firms reduce this kind of waste and boost energy efficiency, California attorney Caroline Mankey has coauthored the Green Guide for Lawyers. Published last year by the Meritas Leadership Institute, Mankey's guide offers a plan that progresses from simple conservation tips to more ambitious ways to slash energy consumption.

What's in it for law firms? Increasingly, clients are "looking for environmentally responsible law firms," says Mankey, a partner at Los Angeles's Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs & Shapiro. Plus, firms that follow the guide can reduce over-head. Here are excerpts from its three levels of going green.

Sustainability Advocate
- uses motion-sensitive lighting
- provides reusable drinking mugs instead of disposable cups
- sets up carpools and offers pre-tax subsidies for transit users


Sustainability Partner
- uses mostly Energy Star—certified equipment
- pledges pro bono hours to environmental groups
- launches professional energy-efficiency audits of firm offices


Sustainability Leader
- locates offices in a building certified in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program
- tracks energy and materials usage, pledging to reduce such usage by 10 percent annually
- offers socially responsible investment options for employee retirement plans
Read more!