Mark C. Palmer is the Chief Counsel of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. Mark strives to serve judges, attorneys, law students and people of the State of Illinois with a dedication to the quality of justice and the rule of law.
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.
Mark serves on the Illinois State Bar Board of Governors, as Chair of the Public Interest Law Initiative 6th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee, on the Executive Committee of the National Legal Mentoring Consortium, on the Illinois Supreme Court’s E-Business Policy Board, and on the ABA’s Commission on Women in the Profession Advisory Council.
Prior to joining the Commission, Mark was in private practice at the Champaign law firm Evans, Froehlich, Beth & Chamley where his law practice focused on areas including commercial litigation, municipal law, banking law, and creditor’s rights, among others. He represented private and appointed clients in both civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts.
Mark is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign. Additionally, he has trained hundreds of law enforcement officers in Illinois at the University of Illinois Police Training Institute, lecturing on topics such as use of force and police liability.
Mark grew up in Champaign and stayed for college prior to moving to Chicago for a full-time corporate job and part-time law school. After six years in the Windy City, Mark returned to practice law in Champaign for a decade while taking on several volunteer roles including with an expanding mentoring program in the Champaign-Urbana public schools.
Mark 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 The John Marshall Law School).
When not in the office, you will likely find Mark and his wife busy raising their twin daughters, enjoying his passion of traveling and eating around the world, and training for his next half marathon.