Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism

Our Mission To promote a culture of civility and inclusion, in which Illinois lawyers and judges embody the ideals of the legal profession in service to the administration of justice in our democratic society.

Website: https://www.2civility.org/
Follow:

Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism Blogs

2Civility

Blog Authors

2civility
Kendra Abercrombie
Laura Bagby
Penelope Bremmer
Penelope Bremner
Mark C. Palmer
amanda carey
Dan Davies
Erika Harold
Marin McCall
Sloane Oxley-Hase
Jayne Reardon
Julia Roundtree Livingston
Stephanie Villinski
ryan wells

Latest from Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is pleased to announce the appointment of three new commissioners. The Illinois Supreme Court has appointed Hon. Sierra D. Senor-Moore, Daniel R. Hernandez, and Alan G. Pirtle to three-year terms, expiring December 31, 2028.
In addition, the Illinois Supreme Court has reappointed Commissioners Heather B. Kroencke and Azam Nizamuddin to terms expiring December 31, 2028.
“We are thrilled to welcome Judge Senor-Moore, Daniel Hernandez, and Alan Pirtle as commissioners,” said John K. Kim, chair of the Commission on Professionalism. “We look forward to leveraging their diverse backgrounds and experiences to advance integrity, professionalism,

…
Continue Reading Illinois Supreme Court Appoints Three Commissioners to Commission on Professionalism

2026 future is now
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is pleased to announce that it will hold its 10th annual Future Is Now: Legal Services conference on Thursday, April 30, 2026. The virtual event will take place from 12 – 4:30 p.m. CDT.
The Future Is Now will explore how professionalism impacts legal excellence and a justice system that works for everyone. A speaker list will be announced soon.
Lawyers across all practice areas, judges, law students, law school faculty and staff, court professionals, paralegals, law librarians, other legal professionals, and anyone interested in the legal and judicial systems are invited to attend.

…
Continue Reading Save the Date for 10th Annual Future Is Now: Legal Services Conference

Members of the WBAI and me with therapy animals from SOUL Harbour Ranch.
Members of the WBAI and me with therapy animals from SOUL Harbour Ranch.

I was recently asked by the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois to deliver a CLE focused on helping lawyers build resilience after having been bullied.
While I often deliver CLEs on similar topics, the venue was particularly special this time.
The CLE was held at SOUL Harbour Ranch, which provides animal therapy in Chicago and its suburbs. Take a look at its website, and you will see miniature therapy horses, therapy dogs, and therapy cats providing love and support to those in need.
As I

…
Continue Reading Miniature Horses, Piano-Playing Pigs, and Lessons in Professionalism

evolution of legal professionalism trisha rich judge alicia washington kathy pine
Our Commissioner Spotlight series highlights the Illinois judges, lawyers, and educators who have been appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as Commissioners for the Commission on Professionalism.
These individuals are selected for their commitment to professionalism and contributions to the bar and their communities. During their term, they provide essential support and guidance for the Commission’s work.
This special spotlight celebrates three Commissioners who will complete their terms this year:

…
Continue Reading Three Commissioners on the Evolution of Legal Professionalism, Generational Change, and the Enduring Power of a Lawyer’s Word

https-www-2civility-org-wp-content-uploads-2025-12-istock-2166701231-1024x773-jpg

The number of lawyers in the U.S. is growing. For the first time since 2020, the population of U.S. lawyers increased, jumping to 1,374,720 in 2025, up from 1,355,963 in 2024, according to the American Bar Association’s 2025 Profile of the Legal Profession.

After steadily growing to 1,363,017 in 2020, the lawyer population remained stagnant before dropping in 2024.

This 1.38% increase in 2025 is fueled by huge law school graduating classes and high rates of employment. The National Association of Law Placement (NALP) reported that the graduating class of 2024 was 12% larger than any class since

…
Continue Reading U.S. Lawyer Population Grows for First Time Since 2020, Fueled By Huge Law School Classes

Sign here
Scott Graham, Unsplash

illinois NextGen Bar Exam Photo of pinned Springfield on a map of USA. May be used as illustration for traveling theme.

The Illinois Supreme Court has approved an order confirming that Illinois will accept transferred scores from the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination (NextGen UBE) beginning with the exam’s July 2026 administration.

This means that, effective July 2026, the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar (IBAB) will accept transfer passing scores attained on the NextGen UBE as well as the current Uniform Bar Exam, known as the Legacy UBE, which will expire in 2028.

IBAB will submit a recommended passing score in Illinois for the NextGen UBE on or before July 31, 2026, which the Court will endeavor to act upon

…
Continue Reading Illinois Will Accept Transferred Scores from the New NextGen Bar Exam

Woman in a hat and coat looking at her phone in front of a lake
Law school education covers writing and thinking like a lawyer, but focuses less time on building future lawyers’ professional identity. I had the good fortune of addressing 64 newly licensed attorneys earlier this month at the Fourth Judicial District Bar Admission Ceremony, which was presided over by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White.
The ceremony took place at the Illinois Supreme Court in Springfield. Justice Holder White organized a thoughtful and uplifting ceremony that provided the new admittees with a warm welcome to the Illinois legal profession.
I was asked to speak about professionalism. My goal was to galvanize

…
Continue Reading 4 Steps to Uncovering Your Professional Identity as a Lawyer

Real estate broker showing office space to clients. Business people and real estate agent at empty office space, with estate broker pointing at something interesting. law firm return to office
Law firms have more than doubled their share of the U.S. office space market since before the pandemic, according to a recent report from the global real estate services company Savills, which explored trends for firms leasing over 20,000 square feet.
Law firms leased 8.3 million square feet in office spaces with over 20,000 square feet through the third quarter of 2025, well above the six-year average and indicating a strong demand as many return to the office, according to the U.S. Law Firm Activity Report Q3 2025 report.
“Law firm leasing has climbed steadily from pre-pandemic levels, driven by

…
Continue Reading Law Firms Double Share of the U.S. Office Space Market Since Pre-Pandemic

in defense of the handwritten card lighthouse
The image on the front of the card was a white lighthouse beaming against an orangey sunset and darkening lake. Although metaphors associated with lighthouses can seem almost overused, they capture the role this person played during an important point in my career—an illuminating presence and a signpost along the voyage. So, I selected the card and began to write.
The note wasn’t long, but it was earnest. I thanked her for taking the time to send me encouraging messages during an important career transition and for generously investing time and emotional energy into uplifting the young lawyers around her.

…
Continue Reading In Defense of the Handwritten Card

Roya Samarghandi, The Chicago Bar Foundation
Our Professionalism Spotlight series highlights Illinois legal professionals who demonstrate the ideals of professionalism in their careers.
In this Professionalism Spotlight, we spoke to Roya Samarghandi, Chief Advocacy and Innovation Officer at the Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF), the charitable arm of the Chicago Bar Association.
The CBF works to increase access to free and affordable legal assistance for people in need and to make the courts and legal system more user-friendly, fair, and accessible for people without lawyers.
After starting her career in corporate transactional work, Roya joined the CBF’s legal incubator program, the Justice Entrepreneurs Project (JEP), to make

…
Continue Reading Professionalism Spotlight: Roya Samarghandi, The Chicago Bar Foundation

iStock-2165092600-1024x683-1

Medium full shot of adult male college professor giving lecture on law in university classroom while student raising hand asking question law school application

An increasing number of aspiring lawyers are taking the LSAT and doing so because they want to help others.

A record number of lawyer hopefuls took the LSAT and applied to law school during the 2024-2025 cycle, even amid significant changes in law school administration, policies, and caps on federal graduate student loans.

The Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) asked test-takers about their motivations for pursuing a legal education and anticipated barriers in attending law school. LSAC recently issued a report with feedback, which included responses from more than 15,000 candidates who took the LSAT between August 2024 and April

…
Continue Reading Why Are People Attending Law School?

Inspired young business woman talking to colleagues on brainstorming meeting, discussing work strategy, project management, creative ideas. Corporate coach training employees class of 2024 law graduates

Despite reporting the highest employment rate in nearly four decades, Class of 2024 law school graduates did not equally benefit from the strong legal job market.

The “Jobs & JDs: Employment and Salaries for New Law Graduates – Class of 2024” report from the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) found that Asian, Black, Latinx, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander graduates experienced lower overall employment rates than their white peers.

The report also identified disparities between continuing-generation JD students (those with at least one lawyer parent or guardian) and first-generation college students (those without a parent or

…
Continue Reading A Look at Class of 2024 Law Graduate Employment Data from NALP

Artificial intelligence creates music concepts. Vector illustration.

Picture a tool that can quickly summarize dense, voluminous documents in short soundbites. Got your attention?

Recently, a growing number of artificial intelligence (AI) platforms have begun experimenting with turning written content into highly tailored audio. For lawyers, these tools can transform long case opinions, pleadings, or appellate briefs, for example, into audio formats that are easier to absorb during a commute, workout, or while multitasking.

These platforms allow users to upload PDFs, then use AI to generate audio overviews that are grounded strictly in those sources. This delivers more accurate and contextual answers based on the information provided

…
Continue Reading Ethical Considerations for Lawyers Using AI-Generated Audio to Summarize Documents

2025 Clio Legal Trends Report Lawyers AI

What do growing law firms in 2025 have in common? They use AI in their practices, according to a 2025 report on technology use in law firms from legal software provider Clio.

The report found that growing law firms have nearly doubled their revenue over the past four years, with only a 50% increase in clients and matters. Shrinking law firms, in comparison, were less likely to use AI and have seen a 50% decline in revenue over the past four years.

Clio’s annual Legal Trends Report highlights the tools, workflows, and characteristics that distinguish growing firms from their peers

…
Continue Reading Clio Legal Trends Report Outlines Ways Technology Helps Firms Earn More From Clients and Cases

1761752519-137445-7107-lxb_photoXihOO7UOvy4lxb_photo-
Sincerely Media, Unsplash

ardc ai guide

Illinois lawyers are increasingly asked to navigate the risks and benefits posed by artificial intelligence (AI) in their practices. While AI tools are abundant, resources outlining their implementation are limited and may not be objective when tied to a specific platform.

Thankfully, the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) recently released “The Illinois Attorney’s Guide to Implementing AI” (the “Guide”), providing a practical framework for legal professionals to understand and deploy AI in their practices while honoring the ethical demands of confidentiality, data security, and supervision.

“As artificial intelligence becomes woven into everyday legal work, Illinois lawyers

…
Continue Reading ARDC’s Guide for Illinois Lawyers on Implementing AI Responsibly

Shari Rhode
Our Professionalism Spotlight series highlights Illinois legal professionals who demonstrate the ideals of professionalism in their careers.
In this Professionalism Spotlight, we spoke to Shari Rhode, owner of Rhode Law Firm in Carbondale, Ill. Shari practices in the areas of employment law, business law, and litigation.
She has also served as an Associate Professor at Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School, a member of the Illinois State Bar Association Board of Governors, and an Illinois State Bar Foundation Fellow.
How do you remain civil in tense situations?
Always being respectful and courteous. Take a deep breath, remember this too will

…
Continue Reading Professionalism Spotlight: Shari Rhode, Rhode Law Firm