In the U.S., the bar exam has determined the fate of eager would-be lawyers since 1738. The exam is aimed at sorting out those who have the skills to practice law from those who don’t. However, state regulators haven’t agreed on a definition of the minimum competence needed to practice law. This begs the question, […]
For years, the legal profession has struggled with mental health and substance abuse issues. Year after year, lawyers top the lists of professions with the worst quality of life when considering their overall well-being. In the wake of studies like the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation survey and exposés like the infamous New York Times article released last July, the legal […]
Helping Lawyers Overcome Substance Abuse We are a self-regulated profession. That means that we have a duty to protect the public, including from impaired lawyers. We also have an obligation to help our colleagues who may be suffering from alcohol or substance abuse. Too often I instead hear stories of lawyers covering for, or enabling, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
