Electronics Recycling for Law Firms — What You Need to Know

Why Law Firms Face Unique IT Disposal Risks

Unlike most businesses, law firms have a legal and ethical obligation to protect client confidentiality that extends beyond the active relationship. The Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct (Rule 1.05) require attorneys to preserve confidential client information — and that includes data stored on old computers and hard drives.

A data breach from a carelessly discarded laptop could mean:

• Malpractice claims from affected clients
• State Bar disciplinary proceedings
• Loss of client trust and reputation damage
• Regulatory fines if handling healthcare (HIPAA) or financial (GLBA) data
• Notification obligations under Texas Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act

What Equipment Do Law Firms Need to Recycle?

Most law firms accumulate a surprising amount of IT equipment over time:

• Attorney workstations — desktops and laptops with years of client files
• Firm servers — practice management, document management, email servers
• Copiers and MFPs — modern copiers have internal hard drives that store every document copied
• External drives and USB sticks — used for case file transfers and backups
• Mobile devices — firm-issued phones and tablets with email access
• Backup tapes and drives — often forgotten in storage closets
• Old network equipment — routers and firewalls with configuration data

Attorney-Client Privilege and Data Disposal

The duty to protect attorney-client privilege doesn't end when you upgrade your computer. ABA Formal Opinion 477R emphasizes that lawyers must take "reasonable efforts" to prevent unauthorized access to client information — including during disposal.

What constitutes "reasonable efforts" for IT disposal?

• Using a certified ITAD (IT Asset Disposition) provider
• Requiring NIST 800-88 compliant data destruction
• Obtaining Certificates of Destruction with serial numbers
• Maintaining chain of custody documentation
• Ensuring your provider carries adequate insurance and bonding

See our NIST 800-88 data destruction process →

Building a Firm IT Disposal Policy

Every law firm should have a written IT disposal policy. Here's a framework:

1. Inventory All Equipment

Maintain a current list of all IT assets — computers, servers, mobile devices, copiers, and storage media. Include serial numbers, assigned users, and data classification.

2. Classify Data Sensitivity

Not all equipment carries the same risk. Prioritize devices that stored:

• Client case files and communications
• Financial and billing records
• Trust account information
• Healthcare-related data (HIPAA implications)

3. Choose Destruction Method

For most law firms, we recommend physical destruction (shredding) for hard drives. It's the most defensible position — you can't recover data from a shredded drive, period.

4. Document Everything

Keep Certificates of Destruction and chain of custody records with your firm's compliance files. These documents are your proof of due diligence if questions ever arise.

Common Mistakes Law Firms Make

• Delegating to the "IT guy" without oversight — internal staff may not follow proper procedures
• Donating old computers without wiping — good intentions, terrible security practice
• Forgetting about departing attorney devices — when a lawyer leaves the firm, their equipment needs to be processed
• Ignoring copier hard drives — every modern copier stores documents internally
• No documentation — "we threw them away" isn't a defensible compliance position

Why Houston Law Firms Choose EverTrade

• Free pickup from your office — no need to transport sensitive equipment
• NIST 800-88 certified data destruction with detailed documentation
• Certificate of Destruction with device serial numbers for your compliance files
• Chain of custody from pickup to final processing
• Zero landfill guarantee — environmentally responsible recycling
• Local service — based in Sugar Land, serving the entire Houston metro area

Schedule Your Law Firm's IT Disposal

Whether you're upgrading workstations, decommissioning a server, or doing a complete office technology refresh, we make secure IT disposal simple. Call us or schedule online — we'll handle the pickup, destruction, recycling, and documentation.