Throughout August and September, the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism has collaborated with Illinois’ nine law schools to host professionalism orientations for first-year law students.
2024 is the 18th year that the Commission has facilitated these orientations, which are held annually at the beginning of law school.
Professionalism orientations introduce 1L students to the principles of legal professionalism and the importance of these principles in their careers. These include navigating conflict civilly, practicing integrity and respect toward all involved in the legal system, prioritizing mental health and well-being, and promoting diversity and inclusion in the profession.
Illinois Supreme Court and Appellate Court Justices, federal judges, Illinois circuit court judges, local lawyers, Commissioners, and Commission staff participate in these orientations.
This includes Justices and judges leading students in the Pledge of Professionalism, during which students commit to upholding the principles of professionalism in law school and their legal careers.
“Professionalism orientations are an opportunity to imbue future lawyers with the concepts of legal professionalism, emphasizing civility, integrity, and inclusiveness as fundamental to the effectiveness of our profession,” said John K. Kim, Chair of the Commission on Professionalism. “We thank all nine law schools in Illinois for prioritizing professionalism education and are grateful for their continued collaboration on these important foundational events for law students.”
The 2024 professionalism orientations schedule:
- Chicago-Kent College of Law, August 13
- Speakers: (Day Session) Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary K. O’Brien, Commission Executive Director Erika Harold; (Evening Session) Commission Vice Chair and Illinois Appellate Court Justice Sharon O. Johnson, Commission Communications Director Laura Bagby
- Northern Illinois University College of Law, August 14
- Speakers: Commission Supreme Court Liaison and Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth M. Rochford, Commissioner Amanda Hamilton, Commission Chief Counsel Mark Palmer
- University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (UIC Law), August 14 and 15
- Speakers: (August 14) Illinois Supreme Court Justice Joy V. Cunningham, Commission Deputy Director Stephanie Villinski; (August 15) First District Appellate Court Justice Jesse G. Reyes, Deputy Director Stephanie Villinski
- Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School, August 16
- Speakers: Illinois Supreme Court Justice David K. Overstreet, Commissioner Kathy Pine, Chief Counsel Mark Palmer
- Loyola University Chicago Law School, August 16 and 23
- Speakers (August 16): Illinois Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville, Jr., Commission Executive Director Erika Harold; (August 23): Illinois Appellate Court Justice Sanjay T. Tailor, Deputy Director Stephanie Villinski
- DePaul University College of Law, August 19
- Speakers: (Day Session) Illinois Appellate Court Justice David R. Navarro, Commissioner Trisha Rich, Executive Director Erika Harold; (Evening Session): Commissioner and Judge Bonita Coleman, Deputy Director Stephanie Villinski
- University of Illinois College of Law, August 21
- Speakers: Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White, Commission Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager Julia Roundtree Livingston
- Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, August 28
- Speakers: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Judge Edmond E. Chang, Executive Director Erika Harold
- University of Chicago Law School, September 25
- Speakers: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer, Commission Chair John K. Kim
This year, Loyola Law, Northwestern Law, SIU Law, and UIC Law incorporated a pinning ceremony in their professionalism orientations.
In addition to the formal program, at Northwestern Law and UIC Law, Illinois attorneys facilitated small group discussions with students on professionalism scenarios in daily legal practice.
Participating attorneys included John D. Bailey, Margaret C. Benson, Edward Casmere, Irene S. Fiorentinos, Bruce D. Goodman, Christopher R. Heredia, Kevin Hull, Michele M. Jochner, Robert M. Karton, Adam G. Kelly, Patrick Lamb, Arlette G. Porter, Daniel R. Saeedi, and Sheldon Solow.
About the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism
The Illinois Supreme Court established the Commission on Professionalism under Supreme Court Rule 799 to promote integrity, professionalism, and civility among the lawyers and judges of Illinois, to foster a commitment to the elimination of bias and divisiveness within the legal and judicial systems, and to ensure those systems provide equitable, effective, and efficient resolution of problems for the people of Illinois.
The Commission achieves this mission through professional responsibility continuing legal education, lawyer-to-lawyer mentoring, legal professionalism programming, educational resources, robust communications platforms, and more. To learn more, visit 2Civility.org and follow us on social media.
Press Contact
Laura Bagby, Communications Director
312-363-6209
laura.bagby@2civility.org