More than a third of world’s top law firms exacerbating climate crisis

Global Legal Post: “More than a third of top law firms are exacerbating the climate crisis by supporting some of the world’s biggest polluters through their advisory work, according to the latest Law Students for Climate Accountability report. The sixth annual climate scorecard found that while the number of firms receiving a top A grade for their climate change mitigation work had doubled to 14 compared to last year, more than a third of firms that were part of the study (38) received an F grade for increasing their fossil fuel-related work. The scorecard evaluates prominent global law firms based on their rankings in the Vault 100, using a scale from A to F. It considered litigation, lobbying efforts and other legal transactions related to the extractive energy industry, particularly oil and gas, from 2020 to 2024. Over that time period, Vault 100 firms participated in 623 representations that the report’s authors asserted exacerbated climate change, earned $35.8m for lobbying on behalf of fossil fuel corporations, and facilitated more than $2trn in transactions supporting fossil fuel interests. Firms that received an F grade included some of the world’s top law firms, including Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, White & Case and Skadden…”