Wisconsin Lawyer
Vol. 82, No. 8, August 2009
Expanding on Green Development
Thank you for running the article “Green Development Opportunities and Risks” in the June 2009 Wisconsin Lawyer. While I found the article to be informative, I am writing to comment on several misstatements.
First, the author refers to “LEED certification from the USGBC.” While the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) did, at one time, review LEEDTM (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) submittals and grant LEED certification for buildings, it no longer does so. The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), established in January 2008, now performs these services. According to its Web site, www.gbci.org, “GBCI provides third-party project certification and professional credentials recognizing excellence in green building performance and practice.”
Second, the author refers to “LEED-certified professionals.” There are no LEED-certified professionals, there are only LEED-accredited professionals (hence the abbreviation LEED AP). Buildings get certified, people get accredited.
Third, contrary to a statement in the article’s key terms sidebar, LEED certification is not based on a paper review – all submittals are reviewed electronically. The certification levels for LEED are: Certified; Silver, Gold, and Platinum. (Bronze was phased out many years ago as a certification level.)
Last, to update the September 2008 statistics: As of June 30, 2009, there were 19,718 LEED-registered projects and 2,863 LEED-certified projects. There also are 114,291 LEED-Accredited Professionals.
Joshua L. Arnold, 360GREEN Inc.,
Madison; josh@360green.biz
Plan Ahead for Next Election
Congratulations to President Doug Kammer, President-elect Jim Boll, and all new Board of Governors members. The election of three “voluntary bar” presidents in the last five years plus the recent State Bar survey indicating 57-plus percent of members favor a voluntary bar show that Wisconsin lawyers want a voluntary bar. Electing State Bar presidents who favor a voluntary bar certainly indicates the sentiment of the membership, but State Bar presidents have only one vote, just like any other Board of Governors member.
So, the next step toward a voluntary bar is the election of a majority of the Board of Governors who will reflect that membership view. Once a voluntary bar majority is elected, the transition can occur directly and simply by – among other steps – setting the Keller dues rebate at or near the amount of State Bar dues. It can be that simple … maybe.
So, if you are a voluntary bar supporter – or a Bar member with new, creative ideas – think now about running in next spring’s Board of Governors election. It’s not too early to plan, network, and let lawyers know now and in your election bio that you favor a voluntary bar or have other innovative ideas. The goal is right there, waiting to be reached, and you can make the difference.
Steve Levine, Madison
Wisconsin Lawyer
