The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is pleased to announce that Executive Director Jayne R. Reardon has been awarded the Illinois Judges Association’s (IJA) 2020 Amicus Award. Reardon was recognized for her years of service in the maintenance of an independent judiciary on December 11, 2020, during the IJA and Illinois State Bar Association’s 49th Annual Joint Mid Year Meeting.
“I’m honored to be recognized by the IJA and our Commissioner Judge Diane Shelley,” said Reardon. “An independent judiciary is fundamental to a healthy democracy. As Executive Director of the Commission on Professionalism, we pride ourselves in developing and administering educational programming that promotes professionalism among the judiciary, with the goal of advancing the administration of justice in our society.”
The IJA, which consists of over 1,250 current and retired judges, is dedicated to judicial excellence, professional development, judicial and public education, and the promotion of a diverse judiciary. In addition to Reardon, IJA award recipients included John Lupton, Executive Director of the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission; Hon. Eileen O’Neill Burke, First District Appellate Judge; Hon. Thomas L. Kilbride, former Illinois Supreme Court Justice; and Hon. Shelvin Louise Marie Hall, First District Appellate Judge.
“Attorney Reardon exemplifies commitment and dedication to an efficient, effective, and equitable judiciary,” said Hon. Diane M. Shelley, President of the IJA and a Commissioner at the Commission on Professionalism. “On behalf of the IJA, I would like to thank her for her tireless service and advocacy for a more civil legal profession.”
Reardon joined the Commission on Professionalism in 2006 and was named Executive Director in 2009. At the Commission, Reardon oversees programming focused on increasing civility and professionalism in the Illinois legal and judicial communities and promoting increased service to the public.
Earlier in her career, Reardon practiced as a trial lawyer, worked on diversity and recruiting initiatives, and managed attorney discipline cases as counsel to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission Review Board.
Reardon is active in the American Bar Association (ABA) Consortium of Professionalism Initiatives, the Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, and the Chicago Bar Association. She is also a member of the Association for Professional Responsibility Lawyers’ Future of Lawyering Committee and the steering committee of the National Lawyer Mentoring Consortium. Reardon was past-Chair of the ABA’s Standing Committee on Professionalism.
Reardon was one of the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center’s 2020 Women of Legal Tech and named to the 2019 Fastcase 50. She was also awarded the Distinguished Service to Law and Society Award from the Illinois Bar Foundation in 2017. Reardon holds a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and a bachelor’s from the University of Notre Dame.
About the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism
The Illinois Supreme Court established the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism under Supreme Court Rule 799(c) to foster increased civility, professionalism, and inclusiveness among lawyers and judges in Illinois. By advancing the highest standards of conduct among lawyers and judges, the Commission on Professionalism works to better serve clients and society alike. For more information, please visit 2Civility.org and follow us on Twitter @2CivilityOrg.
Press Contact
Laura Bagby, Communications Director
312-363-6209
laura.bagby@2civility.org