The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism presented a new judicial training on preventing and addressing bullying in courtrooms at the 2026 Judicial Education Conference.
The interactive training equips judges with skills to prevent and diffuse bullying behavior in courtrooms by lawyers toward other lawyers and/or court staff. The training also highlights tools judges can use to maintain their composure on the bench in highly charged situations.
The biennial Judicial Education Conference is convened by the Supreme Court of Illinois Judicial College, with 2026 sessions held in February and April. Nearly 240 Illinois judges representing every region of the state participated in the bullying prevention trainings this year.
“Lawyers have emphasized the need for judges to set the tone for civility in their courtrooms and to immediately address bullying when it occurs,” said Commission Vice Chair Justice Sharon O. Johnson. “This course provides Illinois judges with strategies to ensure justice is administered in spaces free of bullying, incivility, and intimidation, and we are thrilled to report that the training has been well-received.”
A strong need to address bullying in courtrooms and litigation
Developed and presented by Executive Director Erika Harold and Justice Johnson, the training advances the Commission’s bullying prevention initiative, following the 2024 release of its report, “Bullying in the Legal Profession: A Study of Illinois Lawyers’ Experiences and Recommendations for Change.”
The report was based on a study of more than 6,000 Illinois lawyers. It is believed to be the first wide-scale research project in the U.S. on this topic.
The study found that one in four lawyers had experienced workplace bullying over one year, with the experience being more frequent among younger lawyers, female lawyers, lawyers with a disability, lawyers of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyers.
Thirty-three percent of lawyers identified the person who had most recently bullied them as a lawyer external to their organization, such as an opposing counsel, and 14% said it was a judge. Hundreds of respondents recounted bullying that occurred in the courtroom and litigation activities.
One Illinois attorney said, “Bullying younger and female attorneys is a frequent tactic in litigation. I’ve been in litigation for 15+ years, and it happens all the time.”
Almost 20% of lawyers who responded to the survey said they had left a job practicing law due to workplace bullying. Many respondents noted the positive impact of judges firmly addressing bullying in the moment it occurs.
“A judge that makes it very clear from the first impression that [] they are not going to tolerate [bullying] in their courtroom makes a huge difference,” an Illinois attorney said.
What is included in the training?
The training featured scenarios involving bullying in the courtroom and explored strategies for intervening in the moment and imposing appropriate consequences for repeated bullying behaviors.
It also incorporated an interactive activity in which judges collaborated in groups to draft and share language they can use in their opening remarks to set a standard of respect and civility in their courtrooms.
Additionally, the training covered judicial obligations to treat lawyers and litigants with respect, strategies judges can use to maintain their composure on the bench, and steps judges can take if they recognize they have bullied someone in their courtroom.
“That the Illinois Judicial College and Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts invited us to develop this training based on the report reflects the Supreme Court’s commitment to addressing and preventing bullying behaviors in Illinois courtrooms,” said Harold, who leads the bullying prevention initiative at the Commission. “We were especially grateful for the feedback of Circuit Court of Cook County Judges Erica L. Reddick and Fredrick H. Bates, and of Erin Whalen, a Professional Development Manager at the AOIC, during the development of the training.”
Putting bullying prevention best practices into action
The Commission’s Bullying in the Legal Profession report provides best practices for lawyers, leaders in the profession, bar associations, and judges in addressing and preventing workplace bullying.
Recommendation Three in the report is focused on judges. It includes the enforcement of anti-bullying standards in courtrooms and litigation activities, and continued judicial training on the prevention of bullying, incivility, and harassment, like the Judicial Education Conference session.
Other ways that the Commission has put the report’s recommendations into practice include, a statewide bullying prevention summit, the creation of a new continuing legal education course and other resources dedicated to bullying prevention, the addition of bullying-prevention-focused content to the Commission’s Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program, an ongoing bullying prevention challenge, and collaborations with organizations including the American Bar Association (ABA), the National Organization of Bar Counsel, and the American Board of Trial Advocates to present the report.
Importantly, in August 2025, the ABA adopted Resolution 523, encouraging legal organizations to address bullying and develop studies similar to the Commission’s report.
“When the Commission published the Bullying in the Legal Profession report in 2024, we committed that it would be a catalyst for future efforts to transform the culture of our profession,” said Harold. “This course is an important next step, and it is truly a privilege to teach on this topic to so many judges who are dedicated to making an impact.”
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