LSA Working Groups

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LSA Working Groups

Collaboration is integral to the LSA’s success, enabling firms to learn, share knowledge and develop together. The working groups are at the heart of this eco system, giving members the opportunity to support one another and explore solutions through the sharing of experience and ideas, successes and challenges. Operating under Chatham House Rules, the groups provide a space for open and honest dialogue.

Four main working groups cover:

  • Business Travel
  • Engagement
  • Sustainable Procurement
  • Strategic Frameworks

The groups aim to meet every 6 – 8 weeks, for 1 hour, usually online via Teams. They are chaired by a mix of industry experts and volunteers from an LSA firm. Members of the groups are expected to participate fully in the discussions, to ask questions and share information and ideas. The groups produce practical outputs such as guides, events and enjoy occasional sessions with guest speakers or subject matter experts to inspire and inform the collaboration.

If you are interested in joining one of the groups or finding out more, please see the Terms of Reference below and email Asia on manager@legalsustainabilityalliance.com.

Terms of Reference

Purpose of group:  A confidential, peer to peer learning forum, operating primarily for the benefit of working group participants to help: 

  • the sharing of best practice 
  • the identification of common challenges 
  • support problem-solving 
  • create resources and recommendations for LSA members 

Membership: 

  • Membership of the working group is exclusively for LSA members (whether exec members or not), and is included as a benefit of membership 
  • Members should attend as many meetings as possible, including in person meetings where possible 
  • Consideration should be given to sending another representative from the firm if attendance in person is not possible 
  • Inform manager@legalsustainabilityalliance.com if you cannot attend a meeting 
  • Members are asked to contribute fully to the discussions and fulfil any actions in a timely manner 

Terms of Reference for Group Leaders (Volunteers):

  • To chair meetings every 6 – 8 weeks 
  • To liaise with the secretariat to agree an agenda, and subsequent action points 
  • To bring expertise and experience to the group 

Terms of Reference for Group Leaders (Consultant):

  • To chair meetings every 6 – 8 weeks 
  • To take talking and action point notes which are agreed by the group before the end of the meeting  
  • To liaise with the secretariat to distribute agenda and subsequent action points as required 
  • To bring expertise and experience to the group

Modus operandi:

  • The Chatham House rule applies 
  • The working group aims to meet every 6 to 8 weeks, although may choose to meet more frequently initially 
  • The LSA secretariat can support with scheduling of meetings 
  • The working groups may choose to bring in guest speakers / key experts as required 
  • Substantial points of learning can be shared back with the wider LSA (but only as and when appropriate) 
  • The group does not seek to develop a large workstream, but if there is demand (e.g. for an LSA branded toolkit) or any other resource, budget approval will be sought from the LSA 

Strategic Frameworks

Focused on global horizon scanning, engaging the business (including the business case, C-suite engagement, demonstrating materiality), preparing for new regulations (voluntary and mandatory) and balancing reporting with impact, this working group is split into two distinct workstreams:

  • Nature – Explores the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) & other nature reporting frameworks, nature finance, national standards, Nature-based Solutions (NbS), as well as nature in the supply chain and the boardroom
  • Technical Reporting – Identifies the specifics of complying with a particular framework (e.g. UKSRS S2), specific topics across frameworks (e.g. double materiality, scenario analysis, etc.) and annual updates of published guides (e.g. Decoding the Disclosure – the LSA’s practical guide to TCFD.)

Engagement

This working group is focused on internal engagement and communications, helping colleagues to make the business case on embedding sustainability throughout the business. A subgroup is working on a new toolkit which, against a backdrop of green hushing and pushback against certain aspects of sustainability, will feature useful case studies, best practice on things like how to run a successful Green Week, and expert advice on how to make the most of external communications and social media to engage colleagues.

Sustainable Procurement 

Building on the LSA’s popular guide – Putting the Sustainable into Procurement – this working group is split into four subgroups. The first is responsible for evolving and enhancing the current guide. Another concentrates on data collection, streamlining the data processes, and making reporting more efficient and less burdensome for suppliers. A third is focused on internal training – ensuring colleagues understand and apply the guide effectively, and finally, the fourth subgroup is exploring effective processes for supplier training.

Business Travel

This working group was set up in late 2023 to tackle the issue of business travel emissions in law firms. The excellent guide Every Step Counts – A Practical Guide to Business Travel, published by the group in July 2025, is packed full of tips on crafting a good travel policy for firms and is freely available for download from the resources section on this website.

The group is now building on the foundations of that guide to focus on further support for the legal sector.

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