The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism’s Executive Director Erika Harold presented a session titled “The Prevalence of Bullying in the Legal Profession and a Data-Driven Blueprint for Change” on July 30, 2025, at the National Organization of Bar Counsel (NOBC) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
“I would like to thank Melissa Smart, Director of Education for the Illinois ARDC and a member of the NOBC’s Executive Board, and the NOBC’s Planning Committee for inviting the Commission to share this important data with leaders in legal ethics and lawyer professionalism,” Harold said.
The session explored findings from the Commission’s report “Bullying in the Legal Profession: A Study of Illinois Lawyers’ Experiences and Recommendations for Change,” which was published in October 2024.
The report includes data from a study on the experiences and impact of bullying in the legal profession. More than 6,000 Illinois lawyers participated in the study, which was conducted by The Red Bee Group on behalf of the Commission.
The study found that one in four lawyers had experienced workplace bullying during a one-year period, with the experience being more frequent among younger lawyers, female lawyers, lawyers with a disability, lawyers of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyers.
Almost 20% of lawyers who responded to the survey said they had left a job practicing law due to bullying.
In June 2025, the Commission launched a six-day Stand Up to Bullying Challenge, which outlines daily actions lawyers and bar association leaders can take to address and prevent bullying in their workplaces and organizations.
While the challenge can be conducted at any time, the Commission is encouraging lawyers and bar association leaders to commit to taking the challenge during National Bullying Prevention Month in October.
About the National Organization of Bar Counsel
The NOBC is a nonprofit organization of legal professionals involved in the regulation of the practice of law, including legal ethics, discipline, education, professionalism, and the unauthorized practice of law.
Its Annual Meeting convenes national and international leaders in lawyer and judicial regulation to explore emerging trends and share best practices in promoting these values.
About the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism
The Illinois Supreme Court established the Commission on Professionalism under Supreme Court Rule 799 to promote integrity, professionalism, and civility among the lawyers and judges of Illinois, to foster a commitment to the elimination of bias and divisiveness within the legal and judicial systems, and to ensure those systems provide equitable, effective, and efficient resolution of problems for the people of Illinois.
The Commission achieves this mission through professional responsibility CLE, lawyer-to-lawyer mentoring, legal professionalism programming, educational resources, robust communications platforms, and more. To learn more, visit 2Civility.org and follow us on LinkedIn.
Press Contact
Laura Bagby, Communications Director
312-363-6209
laura.bagby@2civility.org
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