Working collaboratively to promote sustainable practice across the legal sector

2024 Reporting Overview

AusLSA reports annually on behalf of its members based on its Sustainability Framework and produces the annual Legal Sector Sustainability Insight.

The current Sustainability Framework was developed between 2014-2017 and is updated regularly in consultation with members, thought leaders and legal sector stakeholders.

How we report

Each year all AusLSA members are invited to report based on AusLSA’s standard reporting framework. Reporting is open from July until early September.

Reporting involves participating firms addressing a series of questions aimed at measuring levels of commitment, transparency, activity and achievements in a range of related categories. This information is collected using our Sustainability Reporting and Analysis Tool (SRAT).

The annual Legal Sector Sustainability Insight is edited by the Australian Legal Sector Alliance with assistance from a range of contributors and expert stakeholders.

What we report

AusLSA's Sustainability Framework and Reporting Framework has evolved progressively since 2009. Each year AusLSA seeks feedback from members, stakeholders and thought leaders to refine and improve its reporting criteria.

Most recently AusLSA's has expanded its environmental reporting with the addition of more comprehensive reporting across the People, Community and Governance pillars.

In developing these questions the AusLSA Executive and Board carefully balanced the coverage and depth of reporting to optimise the following criteria

Participation levels
Relevance/materiality
Alignment with best practice and international frameworks
Alignment with existing reporting undertaken by members
Efficiency of information gathering
Rigour and reliability of information reported

The development of AusLSA’s reporting framework and the analysis and commentary included in this report is greatly assisted by the input of a group of key organisations:

The Australian Pro Bono Centre - legal pro bono programs
The Workplace Gender Equity Agency - gender equity and flexible working
Workplace Giving Australia - giving and non-legal volunteering
Pride in Diversity - LGBTI inclusion
the Legal Profession Reconciliation Network - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reconciliation and
the Minds Count Foundation - psychological well-being
Ernst & Young.

AusLSA collects five categories of information to complete its report.

Free text (where members can explain their commitments, achievements and challenges)
Standardised options - where firms can list activities, initiatives and programs they participate in)
Standardised questions (where firms are asked to answer specific questions)
Standardised quantitative results data
Links to additional information including logos, key contacts for further public information)

As an example the SRAT assists in data collection by focusing on data options that are readily available through normal operational processes, for example giving users the option to enter data such as taxi expenditure, or number of flights taken rather than requiring detailed activity data such as taxi or flight mileage. The SRAT uses the latest emissions factors, industry data and models from a variety of sources, most notably the National Greenhouse Accounts (NGA

2024 - Reporting Framework (reporting questions)

An MS Word version of the full set of Questions and Guidance for 2024 is available for download here.

Key Dates between June-December 2024

Confirm reporting member contacts and user accounts - end June
Complete annual review and finalise Reporting Framework for 2023 - end June
The SRAT opens for 2024 reporting - 2nd week in July)
Members 2024 reporting data due - last week in August
Data validation and analysis - during September
Report released – Early November
Report promoted – November/December