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Committee on Equality Uncovers Implicit Bias in Illinois Courts

Posted on November 20, 2017January 4, 2021 by Erika Kubik

As humans, we all fall victim to implicit bias. Our life experiences affect our beliefs, and those beliefs often play into our decision-making, whether we are aware of them or not. Unfortunately, these unconscious biases can become increasingly problematic, especially when they begin to dictate our deliberate choices and reasonings. Luckily though, implicit bias does not have to dictate how we lead our lives. They can be addressed, and the Illinois judiciary is […]

What Happens When Lawyers Speak Up

Posted on October 10, 2017September 28, 2021 by Jayne Reardon

A recent Chicago Tribune op-ed exhorting corporate leaders to speak up got me thinking. It was by Ravin Gandhi, the CEO of GMM Non-stick Coatings, a company that produces non-stick cookware. He talked about writing an op-ed critical of President Donald Trump’s “tepid response to white supremacists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Va.” He says that […]

Shining a Light on Lawyers’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Posted on August 15, 2017December 2, 2021 by Jayne Reardon

Perhaps the issue of lawyers drinking too much and abusing drugs is finally getting serious attention from those in the profession who build and sustain the culture. It’s been swept under the rug, whispered about, laughed off and/or ignored for as long as I’ve been a lawyer. As a self-regulated profession, we need to do […]

Walking in the Public’s Shoes: Courthouse Professionalism Training

Posted on February 6, 2017July 29, 2021 by Mark C. Palmer

Trial attorneys feel at home in the well of the court, advocating for their clients. Veteran judges know the view from the bench well, conducting the court’s business. Courthouse employees across the Land of Lincoln constitute a well-oiled machine inside the brick and mortar buildings, each fulfilling their role serving justice for our citizens in […]

5 Reasons to Use Technology in the Courtroom

Posted on June 29, 2016February 28, 2022 by Mark C. Palmer

Times have changed. Twenty years ago, the bench and bar showed resistance to the incorporation of technology in the courtroom on various levels – fear of the unknown, disassociation with change, monetary inadequacies, and even antiquated rules of procedure and evidence stood in the way. Fast forward to today to discover the courts and practitioners […]

Judges, Take Control of the Courtroom

Posted on April 5, 2016January 4, 2021 by Jayne Reardon

The most frequent comment we hear at the Commission about reversing the slide toward incivility in the legal profession: have the judges take control. Someone told me just last week that associates in her firm try to resist meeting incivility with incivility but felt obliged to do so to not look weak or ineffectual in […]

U.S. District Court Revises Pro Bono Reimbursements

Posted on March 14, 2016January 8, 2021 by Erika Kubik

As Pro Bono cases rise in the Northern District of Illinois, revisions to Pro Bono reimbursements appeared to be a top priority for the federal court. According to the October 2015 survey of the Northern District of Illinois trial bar, lawyers consistently claimed that the reimbursement rate wasn’t enough to cover the costs incurred in […]

Why Black Judges Matter

Posted on January 18, 2016January 4, 2021 by Jayne Reardon

Crain’s recent article on the lack of black male federal judicial appointments in the 7th Circuit has generated some strong comments. I agree that diversity on the bench is important. But I take issue with the overly simplistic finger-pointing at President Barack Obama and contend there is a systemic problem with a lack of diverse […]

Upcoming Panel Advocating Civility

Posted on November 9, 2015January 4, 2021 by Erika Kubik

Is civility an issue in the legal profession? Discipline roundups may sanction the extreme, but where should legal professionals draw the line on less flagrant breaches of professionalism? According to the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism’s 2014 Survey on Professionalism, more than 85% of respondents reported experiencing some instances of uncivil or unprofessional behavior within […]

Incivility and Professional Ethics

Posted on July 28, 2015January 4, 2021 by Jayne Reardon

Can lawyers properly advocate for their clients without being aggressive toward opposing counsel? Many say no—aggressiveness is part and parcel of advocacy. And over the past few decades, anyone who is in the ring with lawyers would agree that there has been an increase in aggressiveness, also characterized as incivility. Many say the incivility is […]

Recognizing Millennial Leadership

Posted on June 16, 2015April 9, 2025 by Michelle Silverthorn

On January 1, 2011, the first Baby Boomer turned 65 years old. Every day since, 10,000 Boomers have turned 65. This will continue for the next 14 years. And then one December night, in 2029, the very last Baby Boomer will reach that once traditional retirement age. And if she is employed, she might think […]

The Pay Gap In The Legal Field Is Significant

Posted on April 10, 2015January 4, 2021 by Jayne Reardon

In March, the Census Bureau released new data in honor of Women’s History Month. Once again, among full-time, year-round civilian workers across all occupations, women were reported as earning 78.8 cents to every dollar earned by men. The new data, compiled by the 2013 American Community Survey, organized the 2010 census data by occupation, including […]