Don’t Let Client Confidences Turn into Coloring Paper: Remember to Recycle Responsibly

As we rush headlong into the Christmas season, on the heels of that other holiday emblematic of overindulgence that arrived just shortly after America Recycles Day, recycling may well be on everyone’s mind as we ponder ways to get rid of excess stuff. Regifting the box of chocolate-covered pears a client just sent you? No problem by me—just be certain to remove the gift tag. Sending leftover food items from the office get-togethers to a homeless shelter? All the better. Those are sometimes easy, heart-pleasing fixes to the problem of overconsumption, whether personally or professionally.

Recycling paper can be a feel-good activity (and cutting down on usage can be a real money-saver), but law firms have to tread a bit more carefully when they are getting rid of excess work product. After all, you don’t want an overly enthusiastic paralegal to take a ream of used paper from the recycling bin to her kindergartener’s classroom; five-year-olds and their parents don’t need to color on one side and read all about a client’s litigation options on the other.

In this season of excess even when the economy’s still pretty tight, remember to recycle responsibly. Make sure that  confidential information isn’t getting into the wrong hands and that paper with sensitive material on it is handled and disposed of properly. Know and address confidentiality issues with your firm’s recycler, and make sure that everyone in a law firm knows what can be safely recycled and what shouldn’t be.  Teach, train, and follow up. Just remember to print fewer sheets of paper (and make them double-sided if you do!) while you’re strengthening your firm’s environmental initiatives.

—Lori Tripoli

Good Intentions Gone Awry

This is a headline no right-minded lawyer wants to wake up to see: “Recycled Medical Records Used As Scrap Paper At School”—especially when the source of that scrap paper was a law firm. No doubt, the person who sent the paper to the school was trying to be both environmentally conscientious and helpful to the school. According to the article, the person to blame was a paralegal at a law firm. This brings to mind a couple of points: Having policies on the books—such as protocols for destroying records or sending materials for recycling—are useless endeavors if personnel are not educated about them and they are not enforced. And every law firm needs to be mindful about crisis management public relations—and be prepared to take quick, incisive action when reporters start calling.