Mark C. Palmer, Chief Counsel of the Commission on Professionalism, has been appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to its E-Business Policy Advisory Board.
The Board, which was established in November 2014, was created to provide guidance to the Supreme Court and Administrative Office on the implementation of eBusiness applications and data exchanges in the state’s circuit courts.
This Board was instrumental in recommending and implementing mandatory statewide electronic filing in Illinois civil court cases. Civil e-filing in Illinois trial courts became mandatory on January 1, 2018.
Seventeenth Circuit Judge Eugene G. Doherty will serve as the new Board Chair. Third Circuit Judge David A. Hylla (ret.) of Madison County had served as Board Chair since its founding.
“Adapting to a world that is still dealing with a pandemic has generated new demands and expectations within the justice system,” Palmer said. “Court systems that embrace technology and build resiliency into their operations — through technology, processes, communications, or otherwise — will be better prepared to rise to these challenges. I applaud the Supreme Court for leading on these issues and look forward to serving on the Board.”
The reconstitution of the Board isn’t the first example of the Supreme Court elevating the importance of technology in the future of the justice system. In March 2022, the Supreme Court announced the creation of a Remote Proceedings Task Force to evaluate the current state of remote proceedings in Illinois and provide best practice recommendations across the state.
“Remote proceedings are not the wave of the future, they are our present,” Chief Justice Anne M. Burke said in a press release. “Illinois Courts have a long history of increasing access to justice and responding to the needs of the communities they serve.”
As Chief Counsel at the Commission on Professionalism, Palmer uses education and outreach to promote professionalism, civility, and integrity in the Illinois legal and judicial systems to provide more equitable, efficient, and effective service to the public.
He does so through a statewide mentoring program, Courthouse Professionalism Trainings, and the development and delivery of educational programming to lawyers, judges, and law students.
Palmer serves on the Board of Governors of the Illinois State Bar Association, as Chair of the Public Interest Law Initiative 6th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee, and on the Executive Committee of the National Legal Mentoring Consortium.
Palmer received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his law degree from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law (formerly John Marshall Law School).
About the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism was established by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2005 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 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
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