CBA Record November 2018

Y O U N G L A W Y E R S J O U R N A L

responsibility on the employer, whereas Whites blamed the perpetrator the most. The chart from the Civility in America 2018 survey (see page 43) shows that when leaders of an organization are civil and create processes to promulgate civility, workers respond positively: Experts in the field advise that leaders can create a more civil culture in four steps. Set the standard of civility for your organization. Create the standard by work- ing directly with employees to identify values that everyone has in common. Then champion those valued behaviors everyday by keeping them front and center. For example, the law firm Bryan Cave went through a workshop asking employees to identify rules or norms for which they were willing to hold each other accountable. The ten norms agreed upon were prominently displayed as the firm’s Civility Code. The managing partner reported that the civility code was directly responsible for the firm being ranked number one among Orange County’s Best Places to Work. Other examples include organizations that valued strong inter-personal connections between employees and developed a policy to smile and make eye contact if you’re within ten feet of someone and say hello if you’re within five feet of another. Once the standard has been set, every- one, but especially the leaders of the firm, must model the standard. This is where the fast vs. slow thinking comes in; use system two to consider your actions, and reactions, to people and events in the firm. Are your actions modeling civility or not? Now that the standard is set and you are modeling it, make sure that you coach those around you to act civilly. Those of you who are acting as mentors, this is a perfect opportunity to coach your mentee on how to act and react civilly to people and issues at the firm and in their work life. When incivility is observed, there should be feedback given regarding the incivility and why it fails to meet expectations. Finally, make sure the polices in your organization are designed to reward civil behavior rather than punish it. A good

The Case for Civility

Tuesday, November 28, 3:00–5:10 pm

Presented By: CBA and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)

The CBA and the Foundation of the American Board ofTrial Advocates- Illinois Chapter are proud to present this program in an effort to promote and elevate the standards of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession. The program features first-hand lessons and experience and is intended to instill values and standards that promote high regard for the legal profession. Lawyers are not just expected, but obligated to zealously advocate for their clients. At the same time, maintaining a reputation of integrity and civility in the legal profession are more important than any one disputed issue or case. In this seminar, you will learn through a series of true-to-life examples complete with audio/visual how to identify and avoid instances of incivility, while maintaining your reputation in the process. You will learn not only how having a good attitude and behavior can be contagious, but also how your practice will become less stressful and more profitable when civility is your habit. When it comes to civility in the legal profession, there are two kinds of lawyers: those whose conduct makes them part of the problem and those whose conduct makes them part of the solution. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how you can be a part of the solution! Participants include Justice Anne M. Burke, Illinois Supreme Court; Aurora Austriaco, Valentine Austriaco & Bueschel, P.C.; Hon. ClaireMcWilliams, Circuit Court of Cook County; Bruce R. Pfaff, Pfaff, Gill &Ports, Ltd.; Hon. AllenWalker, Circuit Court of Cook County; andModeratorTimothy S.Tomasik,Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, LLC.

Special Thanks to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)

example here is a large company that premised the annual bonus on all 250 employees knowing the name of every other employee by year’s end. When it comes to bonuses, promotions, and discipline, systems within law firms can sometimes punish civility rather than rewarding good behavior. While a firm may claim to promote civility, may even set the standard, model it, and coach it, if that firm then rewards a large bonus to an associate who billed a significant portion of her hours using strategic incivility, then the firm is not really committed to ending incivility in the legal profession.

Conclusion This is a challenging time for civility—in nearly every area of our lives. However, this is also a time of opportunity. We are presented with a chance for lawyers, and other responsible individuals, to recall and reinforce the civil underpinnings of the institutions of our society. We should take the challenge and becomes champions of civility.

Jayne Reardon is the Executive Director of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism in Chicago.

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