Conserving the Canvas: Reducing the Environmental Footprint of Legal Briefs by Re-Imagining Court Rules and Document Design Strategies

Abstract:     
This article argues that the current system of court rules needlessly overuses natural resources because too much paper is wasted. It includes discussion and calculations about how a change in court rules and attorney practices could help reduce the environmental impact of briefs submitted in appellate courts. This article follows up the my earlier article, Ruth Anne Robbins, Painting With Print: Incorporating Concepts of Typographic and Layout Design into the Text of Legal Writing Documents.

Keywords: legal practice, legal writing, sustainability, environmental footprint, document design, fonts, briefs

JEL Classifications: K10, K41

Working Paper Series