Ethical conduct is essential to preserving a fair and independent justice system.

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69 % of attorney disciplinary complaints allege fraudulent or deceptive activity.1
68 % of client grievances stem from a breakdown in attorney-client relations.1
32 % of client grievances cite attorney neglect.1
31 % of Illinois lawyers delivered pro bono services in 2022.1
21 % of Americans associate lawyers with high honesty and ethics.2

If one thing can be said about the legal profession, it is that it’s self-governing. This enables lawyers to maintain their independence from government and law enforcement, with which they’re closely intertwined.

The profession’s self-governing structure means lawyers are expected to follow strict ethical rules that bind them together in service to others. These regulations, as outlined in the Rules of Professional Conduct, guide lawyers in all aspects of client representation and lay out their role as a public citizen and an officer of the legal system.

When lawyers disregard these obligations, it compromises the profession’s independence and the welfare of the public it serves. To ensure a fair and impartial justice system, lawyers must observe well-founded standards of right and wrong and strive to ensure that the legal institutions they serve adhere to these ethical standards.

Our educational programs foster the highest standards of conduct in the legal profession, so lawyers can better serve clients and society as a whole.