Last month was one of the most gratifying I have had as an attorney.
On October 1, the first day of National Bullying Prevention Month, the Commission on Professionalism released a report titled “Bullying in the Legal Profession: A Study of Illinois Lawyers’ Experiences and Recommendations for Change.”
The report included findings from more than 6,000 Illinois lawyers who shared their experiences with bullying through an anonymous survey and focus groups. We are proud that it is believed to be one of the first wide-scale research projects in the U.S. on the topic.
Why this is important to me
This initiative was particularly rewarding because, as many of you know, bullying is deeply personal to me.
When I was a teenager, I had to transfer high schools due to pervasive racial and sexual harassment. In a diary I kept at that time, I wrote of my commitment to impact the culture of bullying if I ever had the opportunity to do so.
This desire was realized during my year as Miss America, when I made youth bullying prevention part of my platform. Facing bullying in high school also inspired my desire to become an attorney, as I wanted to learn to advocate for myself and others.
However, when I entered the legal profession, I saw so many of the behaviors I told children were inexcusable normalized and even celebrated to the detriment of many talented lawyers.
We saw this in the responses to the survey too. Almost 40% of lawyers who responded to our survey said bullying is ingrained in the culture of the legal profession.
Moreover, 18% of lawyers who responded to our survey said they had left a legal job due to bullying and 9% said they were looking for a new job or would leave their current job due to bullying.
While this data is alarming, the process of leading this initiative and releasing the report has given me hope. Here are three reasons why:
1. Breaking the silence
Whether it was in the statewide survey or one of the 10 focus groups, brave Illinois lawyers were willing to share what were often heartbreaking experiences of being bullied in the workplace.
Indeed, one in four Illinois lawyers reported being bullied in a one-year period alone, with young lawyers, women lawyers, lawyers with a disability, lawyers of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyers reporting being bullied at higher levels.
The study found that lawyers largely do not report bullying to their employers, due to a fear of retaliation, concerns about being labeled as “weak” or a “complainer,” or worries that they will not be believed. As one Illinois lawyer said, “Bullying is a great silencer.”
Being able to break this silence on behalf of thousands of Illinois lawyers who have been bullied was truly an honor, as these stories have power.
2. Witnessing the commitment to change
We hoped the report would spark a much-needed dialogue about bullying in the legal profession and a commitment to collective change. What we witnessed exceeded even our most ambitious expectations.
The study garnered state and national media coverage from publications such as Reuters, Bloomberg Legal, Chicago Sun-Times, Crains Chicago Business, ABA Journal, Law360, and Above the Law, just to name a few. At one point, an article on the study was one of the top 10 stories on LinkedIn News, with lawyers throughout the country sharing their experiences with bullying.
More importantly, this coverage has already begun to translate into concrete action. Judges, bar associations, and legal organizations have been sharing steps they will take to raise awareness of bullying, craft anti-bullying policies, and create resources and programs for lawyers who are being bullied.
The Commission is also working on several action items and tools to effectuate the recommendations for reducing bullying outlined in the report. We look forward to unveiling these action items in the coming months.
3. Collaborating with Illinois’ legal and judicial communities
This report would not have been possible without the leadership of the Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court, whose support of the Commission in undertaking this initiative reflects a courageous commitment to transparency and dignity.
The Red Bee Group and authors Stephanie A. Scharf and Roberta D. Liebenberg skillfully and thoughtfully crafted the Survey and Report, and I am exceedingly grateful for their talent, expertise, and dedication.
I am also grateful for the diverse perspectives and feedback of the Advisory Council in guiding the initiative, and the passion and dedication of our Commissioners in championing the study and believing in its impact.
This initiative reflects the best aspirations of Illinois’ legal and judicial communities, and we are excited to continue collaborating with organizations across Illinois and beyond to transform the culture of the legal profession.
A commitment to change
Helping lead this initiative has enabled me to keep the commitment I made to myself in high school to try to prevent bullying, and it has given greater purpose to my own experiences with bullying.
Each of you has undoubtedly faced challenges and obstacles in your lives and careers. I encourage you to draw upon the strength and empathy you gained from those experiences to fuel your work and advocacy.
Whether representing a client, serving on a board, mentoring a law student or younger attorney, or standing up for a colleague, commit to being the champion for others that you would have wanted someone to be for you when you were facing daunting circumstances.
And if the Commission can help you in those pursuits, we would be honored to do so.
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