The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is pleased to announce that Executive Director Erika Harold will speak on civility in politics at the 2022 Renewing Illinois Summit, which is hosted by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
The Summit will be held on Thursday, September 29, and Friday, September 30, at SIU Carbondale. The…
Continue Reading Executive Director Erika Harold to Speak on Civility in Politics at SIU’s 2022 Renewing Illinois Summit

While some lawyers view incivility as a relatively minor transgression, a recent New York Supreme Court decision shows incivility can be costly.
Justice Andrea Masley’s decision is noteworthy not only because of the steep penalties she imposed but also because of the strength of the opinion itself. Justice Masley rejected the notion that incivility is simply vigorous advocacy and instead…
Continue Reading The True Cost of Incivility in the Legal Profession

1Ls at the University of Chicago Law School
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is pleased to announce that it has again had the privilege of facilitating professionalism orientations for 1Ls at Illinois’ nine law schools.
Each year, Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court justices, federal judges, and Illinois circuit court judges introduce incoming law students to the principles…
Continue Reading Illinois 1Ls Pledge to Professionalism in Annual Professionalism Orientations

I can’t think of a more appropriate visual metaphor for a blog on productive procrastination than the version history of the blog as it was written.
I began to draft the piece on August 26, driven by a desire to have the piece finished well ahead of my mid-September deadline. I returned to work on it on September 1, a…
Continue Reading Productive Procrastination: How to Feel Good About Avoiding Tasks

The Illinois Supreme Court Rules Committee is asking for public input on six proposed updates to Supreme Court Rules in areas including peremptory strikes, fee arrangements, and e-Filing.
A live public hearing will be held on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. To testify at the hearing, email RulesCommittee@illinoiscourts.gov no later than Wednesday, September 28, 2022.
Written comments are…
Continue Reading Sign Up to Testify On Proposed Rule Changes Regarding Peremptory Strikes, e-Filing, and Fee Arrangements

Our Lawyer Spotlight series highlights Illinois lawyers who are demonstrating the ideals of professionalism in their daily lives.
Diane M. Goffinet is the Managing Attorney for the Southern Regional Office of Land of Lincoln Legal Aid (LOLLA), which provides free legal aid to families and individuals in central and southern Illinois.
At LOLLA, she has focused on public benefits (SNAP,…
Continue Reading Lawyer Spotlight: Diane M. Goffinet, Land of Lincoln Legal Aid Inc.

Despite an increased focus on social justice issues, there continue to be barriers when it comes to corporate clients sending legal work to minority and women-owned law firms, according to a study by the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) and the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (IILP).
The first of its kind study,…
Continue Reading Corporate Clients Aren’t Sending Much Business to Law Firms Owned by Diverse Attorneys

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is pleased to announce that it has been named a finalist for the American Legal Technology Awards. The Commission has been recognized in the Court award category, which highlights an individual or organization that displays outstanding use of innovation that achieves a significant benefit to the courts.
“The Commission on Professionalism’s mission…
Continue Reading Commission on Professionalism Named Finalist for American Legal Technology Awards

The Diversity Lab, an incubator of ideas aimed at boosting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, recently released the next iteration of its Mansfield Rule, an initiative launched in 2017 to diversify recruitment and promotion practices in law.
The Mansfield Rule 6.0 asks law firms to consider at least 30% of underrepresented talent from four groups—including women lawyers,…
Continue Reading Mansfield Rule 6.0 Pushes for Increased Diversity in the Legal Profession

Our Lawyer Spotlight series highlights Illinois lawyers who are demonstrating the ideals of professionalism in their daily lives.
Louis P. Milot, founder of the Law Office of Louis P. Milot, is a solo practitioner in Peoria, Illinois. His firm specializes in civil litigation with a diverse practice involving substantial representation of individuals, families, and businesses. He has practiced…
Continue Reading Lawyer Spotlight: Louis P. Milot, the Law Office of Louis P. Milot

White, male attorneys continue to make up the majority of lawyers in the U.S., according to the ABA’s Profile of the Legal Profession, an annual report on diversity in the legal profession that was released last month.
However, the number of female attorneys and those from underrepresented ethnic and racial communities is growing, especially among law students and associates.
Continue Reading Here’s What the Legal Profession Looks Like in 2022

Jumpstart students pictured with Judge Ann Claire Williams (Ret.) as well as Deans, faculty, and staff from Illinois law schools and the Commission on Professionalism.
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is pleased to report that first-year law students from all nine Illinois law schools participated in Jumpstart, a pre-law school preparatory program designed to elevate first-generation law students and…
Continue Reading Commission on Professionalism, Illinois Law Schools, and Legal Organizations Elevate 1Ls from Historically Underrepresented Communities through Jumpstart Program

The judiciary is less homogenous than it used to be, but the judges and justices sitting on federal and state benches remain overwhelmingly male and overwhelmingly white, according to the ABA’s Profile of the Legal Profession, an annual report on diversity in the judiciary and legal profession that was released last month.
However, things may be shifting. The Senate…
Continue Reading ABA Profile of the Legal Profession: The Judiciary is Vast, But Not Terribly Varied