Victorian barrister Melanie Szydzik was nominated for the award after she conceived the idea of developing 'sustainable principles' for law firms while studying at the Centre for Sustainability Leadership.

The idea expanded into a national, sector-wide movement with the assistance of a number of legal colleagues and the Net Balance Foundation - a not-for-profit sustainability organisation.

"AusLSA provides a mechanism for the profession to take an active leadership role on this important issue," Szydzik said. "Our particular focus is assisting firms to measure and manage their sustainability profiles and to share their expertise and experiences with other firms."