At the Commission on Professionalism, we are charged to connect lawyers and inspire change. Each October, Illinois lawyers reflect on the importance of pro bono service. In fact, many attorneys across the country deliberately set time aside to give back to those in need. Take this Illinois lawyer for example who recently answered the call to serve.
Through our weekly blog posts, news items, monthly e-newsletter, and even our educational programming – we provide the legal community with insight into the access to justice gap, promote upcoming pro bono opportunities for attorneys, and remind practicing lawyers of the core values that make the law more than just a career – but a profession.
As a leading source of information for lawyers in and outside of Illinois, we keep attorneys abreast of change. Daily, we try to challenge them to think with a new mindset, remaining open to different perspectives.
Here’s a look at some of the pro bono specific resources we provided last month, and a few pieces that challenged our team to think differently:
Illinois Attorneys Answer the Call to Serve:
- Every year during Pro Bono Week, Illinois attorneys can give back in a number of ways. Here’s a compilation of recent opportunities and upcoming events, CLE programs, and more that lawyers can/have participated in: https://www.2civility.org/2017-pro-bono-week-opportunities-illinois/
- Pro bono service doesn’t just serve a need in your community. As you impact the lives of others, you’re also serving (and saving) yourself. https://www.2civility.org/responsibility-to-pro-bono/
- Illinois attorneys volunteered their time and talents to help clear criminal records in Champaign this month at the Champaign County Circuit Clerk’s Office Expungement Summit: https://www.2civility.org/champaign-circuit-expungement-summit/
- Thanks to the Chicago Bar Association, SRLs in Illinois have access to a listing of Illinois attorneys who offer limited scope representation services. https://www.2civility.org/cba-limited-scope-program-srls/
Content That Inspires Change:
- When lawyers speak up, it causes a revolution. The legal profession has made a significant impact in the last year, but there’s still more that needs to be done: https://www.2civility.org/what-happens-when-lawyers-speak-up/
- What factors make or break the consumer’s decision-making process when hiring a lawyer? You’d be surprised to see how today’s consumer selects who they hire for their personal and professional matters. https://www.2civility.org/clio-cloud-conference-data-driven-law-practice/
- Take a stand. Be an “ally” to those discriminated against, harassed, assaulted, or oppressed. Here’s how: https://www.2civility.org/metoo-ally-stop-harvey-weinstein-culture/
- The legal profession’s current business model is bad for clients and lawyers. Jayne Reardon, Executive Director of the Commission on Professionalism, challenges attorneys and Supreme Courts across the country to rethink how we regulate of our profession: https://www.2civility.org/st-marys-journal-abs-article-reardon/
- This month’s Lawyer Spotlight, advises Illinois attorneys, new and the more seasoned, to get involved in a mentoring program: https://www.2civility.org/richard-turner-jr-turner-sackett/