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By: Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism

Blog Authors

2civility
Kendra Abercrombie
Laura Bagby
Penelope Bremmer
Penelope Bremner
Mark C. Palmer
Dan Davies
Erika Harold
Marin McCall
Sloane Oxley-Hase
Jayne Reardon
Julia Roundtree Livingston
Stephanie Villinski

Latest from 2Civility Blog

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Photo credit: iStock.com
Key points
  • Implementing an anti-bullying policy is an important starting point for workplaces in developing a holistic and comprehensive strategy for addressing and preventing bullying.
  • Anti-bullying policies should:
    • Clearly define bullying;
    • Differentiate bullying from legitimate feedback;
    • Specify guidelines for reporting and investigating bullying;
    • Afford confidentiality to the fullest extent possible;
    • Delineate consequences for bullying;
    • And specify proactive

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Continue Reading What Your Workplace’s Anti-Bullying Policy Should Contain

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Photo credit: American Bar Association
Key takeaways
  • The Council of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar voted last month to repeal ABA Standard 206, the law school accreditation standard requiring commitments to diversity and inclusion.
  • The standard has been suspended since February 2025 and has not been enforced since 2024.
  • The Council said

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Continue Reading ABA Accreditation Council Repeals Standard Requiring Law Schools to Demonstrate Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

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Photo credit: Misty Gamino
Our Professionalism Spotlight series highlights Illinois legal professionals who demonstrate the ideals of professionalism in their careers.
In this Professionalism Spotlight, we spoke to Misty Gamino, co-founder of CG Law LLC, where she practices family law.
She was named the 2026 HLAI Latina Lawyer of the Year.
Misty earned her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Why

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Continue Reading Professionalism Spotlight: Misty Gamino, CG Law LLC

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Photo credit: Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission) is requesting nominations for two awards recognizing exceptional contributions to improving access to justice in Illinois courts:
  • The Jeffrey D. Colman Access to Justice Award
  • The Hon. Thomas L. Kilbride (Ret.) Judicial Access to Justice Award

    • These awards recognize

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    Continue Reading ATJ Commission Seeks Nominations for Two Access to Justice Awards

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    Phot credit: iStock.com
    The National Celebration of Pro Bono, held annually in October, recognizes the importance of pro bono work and honors the attorneys who dedicate their time and talent to serving their communities.
    The 2026 Pro Bono Week theme is “Serving Justice, Strengthening Democracy.” The theme “recognizes the essential role pro bono attorneys play in ensuring that legal problems

    …
    Continue Reading Celebrate 2026 Pro Bono Week in Illinois

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    Photo credit: iStock.com
    Key points:
    • Study of roughly 37,000 U.S. lawyers finds 47.5% screen high for work-related burnout; 41.1% said legal profession has been detrimental to their mental health
    • Many lawyers reported experiencing depression (21.6%), anxiety (20.4%), stress (18.9%), hazardous drinking (42%), and work-life conflict (35.9%)
    • Respondents call for profession to do more, saying barriers like confidentiality concerns (53.3%) and

    …
    Continue Reading Study Finds More Than 40% of Lawyers Say Legal Profession Has Been ‘Detrimental to Their Mental Health’

    For two decades, the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism has collaborated with Illinois’ law schools to lead professionalism orientations for first-year law students.
    The professionalism orientations, which are held annually at the beginning of law school, introduce 1L students to the principles of legal professionalism and emphasize the importance of these principles in their careers.
    Illinois Supreme Court and

    …
    Continue Reading Commission, Illinois Justices and Judges Partner with Illinois Law Schools on 20th Annual Professionalism Orientations for 1Ls (Photos)

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    Photo credit: iStock.com
    Key points
    • ABA’s Mental Wellbeing in the Legal Profession study found women lawyers reported higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and lower overall well-being than men lawyers
    • Women also reported high stressors like sleep disturbances, family member issues, and loneliness
    • The report found that the way women experience stress varies across race, ethnicity, disability, sexual

    …
    Continue Reading ABA Research Finds Women Lawyers Report Higher Mental Health Risks Than Men

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    Photo credit: Mark Palmer
    Next month, I’ll be speaking at the Illinois State Bar Association’s 8th Annual Abraham Lincoln’s Legal Legacy seminar, which explores Lincoln’s legal philosophy and the ways it animated his career in the law and his presidency.
    In preparing for this seminar, which is being co-presented by the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission, I have spent

    …
    Continue Reading How to Engage on Polarizing Issues This National Civility Month

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    Photo credit: Carla Bender
    Our Professionalism Spotlight series highlights Illinois legal professionals who demonstrate the ideals of professionalism in their careers.
    In this Professionalism Spotlight, we spoke to Carla Bender, Fourth District Appellate Court Clerk.
    In this role, Carla oversees the court’s administrative operations, including case processing, records management, scheduling, and case assignments, and serves as a liaison between the justices, attorneys,

    …
    Continue Reading Professionalism Spotlight: Carla Bender, Fourth District Appellate Court Clerk

    From August 4 – 6, 2026, the Commission on Professionalism was thrilled to once again coordinate the annual Jumpstart Orientation, a pre-law school preparation program designed to support first-generation students at Illinois law schools.
    The program was created by Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.), who served in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. All nine Illinois law schools select

    …
    Continue Reading Commission on Professionalism Welcomes 90 First-Generation Law Students to Annual Jumpstart Orientation, a Pre-Law School Preparation Program

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    Photo credit: iStock.com
    Key points
    • To thrive, legal teams need lawyers with a variety of personality types, but often don’t understand the differences between introverts, extroverts, and everyone in between.
    • Personality differences are primarily related to how you manage your energy, not confidence.
    • Many law school practices and legal workplaces are designed to support the preferences of extroverts.
    • Becoming aware

    …
    Continue Reading Misunderstood Extrovert, Undervalued Introvert, or Exhausted Ambivert? What Personality Really Means in Legal Workplaces

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    Photo credit: iStock.com
    Key points
    • To thrive, legal teams need lawyers with a variety of personality types, but often don’t understand the differences between introverts, extroverts, and everyone in between.
    • Personality differences are primarily related to how you manage your energy, not confidence.
    • Many law school practices and legal workplaces are designed to support the preferences of extroverts.
    • Becoming aware

    …
    Continue Reading Extroverted, Introverted, or in Between? How Lawyers Function Differently in Workplaces

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    Photo credit: iStock.com
    Key takeaways
    • Active listening helps lawyers build trust and better understand clients, witnesses, and colleagues.
    • Questioning assumptions improves decision-making and helps avoid misunderstandings.
    • Creative problem-solving improves when judgment is suspended and ideas are explored before being evaluated.
    • Adaptability and communication help lawyers navigate uncertainty, difficult conversations, and changing circumstances.
    • Human skills like listening, collaboration, creativity, and resilience

    …
    Continue Reading Five Improv Techniques Lawyers Should Use in Their Practices

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    Photo credit: Illinois Supreme Court
    How would you rate your most recent interaction with the Illinois court system? The Illinois Supreme Court and the Illinois Judicial Conference want to know.
    The Illinois Judicial Branch is requesting feedback from lawyers, their clients, and members of the public about their recent court experiences through the Illinois Circuit Court User Experience Survey.
    The survey

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    Continue Reading Lawyers and Court Users – Share Your Feedback About the Illinois Court System!