How Legal Institutions Can Advance Their ESG Through Digital Records

Principles have become more than a box ticking exercise for law firms. Whether driven by client demands, internal values, or regulatory pressure, the legal sector is facing growing expectations to operate more sustainably and to prove it.

But while the conversation often centres on travel policies, diversity metrics or energy use, one area tends to fly under the radar: records management.

It might not be the flashiest topic, but how you manage your documents has a direct impact on your ESG goals especially when you take the leap from paper heavy processes to digital first systems.

Why ESG is Becoming a Priority for Legal Teams

Let’s face it: ESG has landed firmly on the agenda for legal institutions.

Clients are asking for evidence of sustainable practices. Investors and partners are scrutinising governance. And law firm leaders are realising that ESG isn’t just good PR it’s increasingly tied to business resilience and future growth.

In all of this, records management might seem like a back-office concern. But that’s exactly why it’s worth your attention: it’s a practical, measurable area where small changes can drive real ESG outcomes.

Environmental: From Filing Cabinets to Carbon Savings

Most law firms still rely on paper to some extent and that adds up. Whether it’s printed contracts, archived case files, or daily correspondence, all of it takes up space, consumes resources, and creates carbon emissions (especially when stored or transported off-site).

Switching to digital records can make an immediate environmental impact:

• Less paper used, fewer trees cut down
• No fuel burned moving boxes around
• No need to maintain temperature-controlled archive rooms
• Cleaner, more efficient digital storage options especially with cloud providers focused on green energy

It’s a smart way to reduce your carbon footprint without upending your operations.

Governance: Better Compliance, Built-In

Governance is all about accountability, and your records are the evidence. When documents are stored digitally with clear access controls, retention rules and audit trails you gain a level of oversight that paper just can’t match.

With the right system, like FileSmart (built on Microsoft 365 and SharePoint), law firms can:

• Set up automatic retention and deletion
• Monitor who accessed what, when
• Support audits or investigations with confidence
• Reduce risk of human error, lost documents or non-compliant storage

It’s not just tidier. It’s safer. And it helps you build trust with clients, regulators and partners.

Social: Easier Access, Fairer Workflows

The “S” in ESG is often harder to quantify, but that doesn’t make it any less important.

Digital records support more flexible, fair and inclusive ways of working — especially in law firms navigating hybrid teams and evolving expectations:

• Team members can access case files securely from anywhere
• Admin-heavy tasks like document retrieval or filing become automated
• Workloads are more evenly shared, reducing stress and burnout
• Client requests can be answered more quickly and thoroughly

When people have the right tools, they can do better work — and that benefits everyone.

So, What Does This Look Like in Practice?

Here’s a simple roadmap for embedding ESG thinking into your firm’s records approach:

1. Audit your current archive – What do you have? What’s still needed? What can be digitised?
2. Go digital where it counts – From new case files to onboarding materials, shift to digital-first processes.
3. Make use of what you’ve already got – If you’re using Microsoft 365 or SharePoint, build on it. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
4. Set ESG targets – Track paper savings, carbon reductions, or time saved to show progress.

Small, practical steps can make a big difference over time.

ESG Impact, Without the Guesswork

The beauty of digital records is that they deliver measurable value not just in sustainability terms, but in efficiency, cost control and risk reduction too.

If your firm is already thinking about ESG, this is one of the easiest ways to put those values into action.

Want to make your records strategy part of your ESG success story?

We’d be happy to help. From archive audits to digital filing systems tailored to your legal workflows, OASIS can support your journey every step of the way.