NLJ this week: Sustainability and ethics versus profit

Denis-Smith is the CEO of Obelisk Support, which recently published research showing ‘nearly three-quarters of junior lawyers agreed that they would not join an organisation whose values did not match with their own, even if they were offering more money… Nearly two-thirds of junior lawyers wanted the right to refuse to work on certain matters for ethical reasons, something few firms provide.’

Recruiting and keeping a firm’s junior lawyers is not the only reason for practising good ethics. Clients are also putting pressure on their lawyers when it comes to ESG (environmental, social and governance) concerns. Moreover, it’s important to take action rather than simply state a commitment to ESG.