CBA Record November-December 2025

values—is a reminder of how small shifts in culture can ripple outward. Similarly, the Commission’s Lawyer to-Lawyer Mentoring Program has had a transformative effect on thousands of new lawyers across Illinois. Mentorship is not a new idea, but the Commission has institutionalized it in a way that ensures consistency, depth, and accountability. I have heard countless stories from mentees who say the program gave them a foun dation of professionalism and judgment they could not have built on their own. Their mentors, in turn, often report that the program rekindled their own sense of purpose in practice. The Commission’s work also extends to law schools, where professionalism ori entations help incoming students under stand from day one that being a lawyer is not simply about mastering doctrine. It is about embracing a role of trust and ser vice. These early interventions are critical in shaping the mindset of the next genera tion of lawyers. Why It Matters For practicing lawyers, the Commission’s work is not abstract. Initiatives on civil ity in the courtroom reduce stress and enhance advocacy. Mentorship programs improve competence, confidence, con nection, and community. Well-being ini tiatives remind us that we cannot serve clients effectively if we do not take care of ourselves. And reports that shine light on systemic issues push us all to reflect on the culture we are creating in our workplaces and communities. Lawyers often speak about profession alism as if it is a soft skill, an optional add-on to the “real” work of lawyering. But in truth, professionalism is the bed rock of our credibility. Without it, our system of justice falters. The Commis sion’s work underscores this reality again and again.

Reflections on Nine Years with the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism PRACTICAL ETHICS BY TRISHA RICH A t the end of the year, I conclude my third term and ninth year of service as a commissioner on the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. It has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career. As I step back, I find myself reflecting on the Commission’s mission, its impact, and why its work matters so deeply to the Illinois legal community. A Unique Mandate The Commission was created by the Illinois Supreme Court with a clear, ambitious charge: to promote integrity, professionalism, and civility among lawyers and judges and to ensure our profession remains responsive to the evolving needs of the public we serve. This mandate sets the Commission apart from other regulatory or bar bodies. While the ARDC focuses on regulation and discipline, and bar associations provide community and promote advocacy, the Commission is uniquely positioned to encourage a higher standard—one grounded not in punishment or prestige, but in the ideals of service, respect, and public trust. Over the last decade, I have watched the Commission tackle this mission in both practical and aspirational ways. Whether developing cutting-edge programs on civility, leading initiatives around lawyer well-being, or publishing thought-provoking reports on issues such as bullying in the legal profession, the Commission has consistently chal lenged lawyers to think beyond case law and billable hours and instead reflect on what it means to be part of this profession. Real Impact in Courtrooms, Classrooms, and Law Firms One of the most rewarding aspects of serving as a commissioner has been seeing the tangible impact of our programming. Take, for example, the Commission’s courthouse professionalism training courses. These programs bring together judges, lawyers, and courthouse staff to talk about how to foster civility and respect in some of the most high-pressure environments we encounter. Listening to these conversations—often between people who work side-by-side every day but rarely stop to reflect on their shared

Trisha Rich is a commercial litigator and legal ethicist at Holland & Knight, the First Vice President of the Chicago Bar Association, and a past president of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, the national bar association for legal ethicists.

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