The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is pleased to announce that registration is open for its seventh annual The Future Is Now: Legal Services conference. The conference will be held virtually from 12 – 4:15 p.m. CDT on Thursday, April 20, 2023.
Early bird pricing of $30 per ticket will be available through Wednesday, March 15, when the price will increase to $50 per ticket.
The Future Is Now will explore the intersection of legal innovation and professionalism through the lens of delivering legal services to today’s consumers.
Conference speakers will discuss how to prioritize the principles of professionalism—including civility;…
Continue Reading Commission on Professionalism Opens Early Bird Registration for 2023 Future Is Now: Legal Services Conference

Last week, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism Executive Director Erika Harold returned to her alma mater, Harvard Law School, as part of the teaching faculty of the Winter Trial Advocacy Workshop. This is the sixth year that Harold has taught as part of the Trial Advocacy Workshop.
The Trial Advocacy Workshop is an intensive course in trial analysis, skills, and techniques taught over three weeks. Harold taught during the second week, which focused on bench trials.
“We are delighted that Erika joined the teaching faculty of our Trial Advocacy Workshop again this year,” said Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., Director…
Continue Reading Executive Director Erika Harold Part of Teaching Faculty for Harvard Law School’s Winter Trial Advocacy Workshop

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is pleased to announce that it recently partnered with the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice to lead its 12th Courthouse Professionalism Training. The in-person training was held on January 11, 2023, at the Cook County Sixth Municipal District courthouse in Markham, Illinois.
Presiding Judge Tommy Brewer provides remarks to the participants
Roughly 40 members of the courthouse working community —including judges, attorneys, deputies, clerks, and administration—participated in the half-day program that asked them to navigate the courthouse experience through the lens of court users.
“Courthouse Professionalism Training is an opportunity…
Continue Reading Commission on Professionalism and Commission on Access to Justice Partner to Lead Courthouse Professionalism Training in Markham, Ill.

U.S. News & World Report said it will amend the methodology used in its ranking of best U.S. law schools after several law schools cited concerns with its criteria.  
More than 20 law schools including Northwestern, Harvard, and Yale, have said that they will stop providing data to U.S. News for the annual rankings because the rankings lack diversity metrics, penalize schools whose graduates pursue advanced degrees or careers in public interest, and encourage schools to favor wealthy students by offering financial aid based on test scores rather than financial need.  
“We make this decision – despite our…
Continue Reading U.S. News & World Report Amends Law School Rankings Amid Boycott

New year, new you? Who is ready?
Was anyone else crawling to the end of the invisible finish line of 2022? Maybe it was just me, but I doubt it. We are all part of the legal profession; no one gets a prize at the end of the year for working the fewest number of hours.
I am not here to write about the best self-care routine for 2023 or how to work more efficiently. While I do believe in all of that, if I had the answer, I would not be wiping off the dirt from all of the…
Continue Reading 4 Development Goals for Lawyers This Year

Welcome to a new year! And if you are an attorney in New York, you are welcoming a new category of CLE.
Beginning on July 1, 2023, licensed attorneys in New York will be required to complete one CLE credit hour of cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection training as part of their biennial learning requirement.
While 40 states (as of publication) have adopted the duty of technology competency (including Illinois, see Rule 1.1, Comment 8), and some states even require CLE devoted to technology training (see e.g., Florida, North Carolina), New York is the first state to…
Continue Reading Shields Up! What Lawyers Need to Know to Avoid Phishing Attacks

The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is pleased to announce that Julia Roundtree Livingston has joined the organization as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Manager.
In this role, Livingston will lead the Commission’s education and advocacy initiatives aimed at promoting DEI in Illinois’ legal and justice systems.
Prior to joining the Commission, Livingston was Executive Director of Macon County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), which provides court-appointed volunteers to advocate for abused, neglected, and/or dependent children who are involved in the Macon County juvenile court system. She was appointed to this role in 2018.
“On behalf of the Commission,…
Continue Reading Julia Roundtree Livingston Joins Commission on Professionalism as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager