With a new year, come many resolutions to make the coming months some of our best yet. We make plans to get more active, to eat right, to volunteer, etc. But yet, for many of us, these goals we set are short-lived, and more often than not, don’t come to fruition.
Over the last several months, our team at the Commission on Professionalism has been working to educate attorneys on the health and wellness crisis that the legal profession is facing.
Earlier in 2017, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted a recommendation of the Commission to require Illinois attorneys to take one hour of diversity and inclusion CLE and one hour of mental health and substance abuse CLE during each two-year reporting period in hope of educating the profession about the issue at stake.
Therefore, this year, our team is setting a resolution on our own. Through our weekly blog posts, news items, e-newsletter, and all of our educational programming, the Commission plans to continue educating Illinois attorneys about the importance and dire need for health and wellness in our profession.
As lawyers, we are leaders. To create and inspire change, we need to be focus on our individual well-being, as well as, the overall health and wellness of our profession. To properly serve our clients and the profession, we first need to take a step back and better serve ourselves.
Below, our team has shared personal tips and tricks for attorneys to start this new year off on the right foot – with well-being at the forefront, as well as, a few pieces that challenged our team to think differently.
We hope you take these tips to heart, and challenge you to make plans for self-care in 2018.
Turning Plans into Action
- Every wish you could squeeze a few more hours into the day? Maybe it’s time you stop and take a look at how you spend the 24 hours you’ve already been given. https://www.2civility.org/the-time-is-now/
- To see clearly, think clearly, help our families and our loved ones, perform to our full potential at work, and serve this profession to our fullest, we must focus on our well-being. Easier said than done, but organizations like Illinois LAP can help. https://www.2civility.org/resolution-lawyer-well-being/
- Make 2018 a year centered around professional development. The easiest and most enjoyable ways to learn and grow as a young professional? Attend conferences. https://www.2civility.org/conferences-young-lawyers/
- Making time for mentoring matters. Illinois lawyers have found greater success in their mentoring relationships after participating in more formalized mentoring programs. https://www.2civility.org/mentoring-plan-sets-lawyer-success/
Content That Inspires Change
- New faces bring new ideas. The Commission on Professionalism welcomes a new addition to our team of Commissioners. Meet Hon. Diane Shelley: https://www.2civility.org/commission-welcomes-judge-diane-shelley/
- Newton Minow’s mission to serve the public interest is one that lies at the heart of the legal profession. As an organization that works to promote professionalism in the legal profession, his story needed to be shared. https://www.2civility.org/commission-honor-newton-minow-video/
- To change the face of the profession, we must recognize our own implicit biases. By implementing these strategies, we CAN combat them. https://www.2civility.org/programs/cle/free-online-cle/rebalance-scales-implicit-bias/
- “If it really is your life’s goal, you have to keep trying and trying. You can’t give up.” According to the Chair of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, that mantra is what got her a seat on the bench in 2008. https://www.2civility.org/commissioner-spotlight-judge-debra-walker/