Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism

An estimated 459,569 veterans live in Illinois. Veterans face unique legal challenges related to their service but do not always receive the legal assistance they need. We spoke with Program Director Zach Zarnow about how the Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network supports access to justice for veterans. https://bit.ly/4eEOjZ0

When Erika Harold was a teenager, she had to transfer high schools due to bullying. In a diary she kept then, she committed to addressing the culture of bullying, making the Commission's Bullying in the Legal Profession initiative deeply personal to her. https://hubs.li/Q02YKRbv0 📷 Erika at her Harvard Law School graduation

We spoke with Janaan Hashim, The Chicago Bar Association Vanguard Award recipient and a civil rights attorney at Amal Law Group, LLC, the first law firm in the nation founded by six Muslim women. #ProfessionalismSpotlight #RuleOfLaw https://bit.ly/4fWnY9B

A survey by Unmind found that almost one in five lawyers said work harms their mental health, and almost 19% of their time at work is negatively affected by poor mental health, leading to significant financial losses associated with #LawyerWellbeing. https://hubs.li/Q02Xc5jB0

DEI expert Michelle Silverthorn spoke to attendees at the Commission’s 2024 Future Is Now: Legal Services conference about translating the intention to be a good ally into action. Here are 4️⃣ questions the lawyers in our audience asked Silverthorn. 💬 #TFIN24 #Allyship #DEI https://bit.ly/3A6mQ49

The Illinois Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission has announced important updates to statewide standardized court forms. 1) The General Summons form set 2) The Appearance and Jury Request form set Review them on the Illinois Supreme Court's website. https://hubs.li/Q02Yh93s0

Nearly half of law firms are essentially unreachable by phone, according to Clio - Cloud-Based Legal Technology's recent secret shopper survey. Failing to respond to potential clients can harm a business and overall access to justice. Mark C. Palmer shares more in this article. https://hubs.li/Q02Xbxj60

Explore Illinois Legal Aid Online 's resources for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. #TransAwarenessWeek https://hubs.li/Q02Y3C3f0

In this #ProfessionalismSpotlight, we spoke to Carly Holtkamp, Director of Law School External Relations at Southern Illinois University School of Law which celebrated its 50th anniversary and the most diverse classes in more than a decade last year. https://bit.ly/4e3doMH

It was a pleasure for Stephanie Villinski & I to represent the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism and to rejoin the Loyola University Chicago School of Law class "Diversity & Inclusion: A Social & Professional Responsibility" as students began their presentations last night. Led by Professors Josie Gough & Sandra Yamate throughout the semester, law students are encouraged to consider diversity and inclusion issues within the legal profession and to create proposed methods with which legal workplaces can create more inclusive spaces. I was impressed by the complex D & I topics each of the four pairs of presenters explored and even more encouraged by the thoughtful proposals for change that attorneys and legal leaders should implement in order to eliminate these issues. Topics ranged from "Inclusive Interviewing" and "The Call for DEI Support for Diverse Law Students" to "Retaining Diversity in the Legal Workplace and "The Four M's: Menstruation, Motherhood, Miscarriage & Menopause." I look forward to following these law students as they enter the legal profession with a focus to ensure the workplaces around them provide accommodations for all employees. Kudos Emily Browder, Patrick Bailey, Anisha Dharkar, Mehak Dureja, Breana Enyeart, Omer Ece, Maris Medina & Audrey L. on your inspiring presentations! #illinoislawstudents #diversityequityinclusion Kevin C. Lichtenberg Suet Lee Vanessa Aceves Joseph Bruno