CBA Record January-February 2025
Victims also experience a decline in productivity and job per formance, as nearly 39% of bullied lawyers felt less effective in their work. Physical health issues, such as difficulty sleeping and increased fatigue, are also common, with 20% reporting adverse physical effects. Beyond personal health, bullying contributes to higher turn over rates, as many lawyers decide to leave their positions due to the hostile work environment. The report estimates that nearly 10,000 Illinois attorneys have left a job in response to bullying, highlighting the broader implications of workplace incivility on career longevity and the profession’s talent retention. Recommendations The report proposes numerous recommendations to address bul lying and promote a healthier workplace culture. These include establishing clear anti-bullying policies, providing organization specific civility training, and strengthening court enforcement of anti-bullying standards during litigation. The recommendations are intended to create a framework to identify and address bully ing behavior, ensuring that lawyers understand what constitutes bullying and the consequences of such actions. The report on bullying in the legal field highlights a clear message: bullying is widespread, harmful, and urgently needs addressing. With younger, female, disabled, and LGBTQ+ attor
neys facing the brunt of this behavior, the report underscores that bullying takes a toll on mental health, productivity, and career longevity. It calls for robust anti-bullying policies, targeted civility training, and court enforcement. By acting on these recommen dations, the legal field can better achieve its goal of promoting civility. See also Editor’s Briefcase on page 4 and the YLS Chair Column on page 30 for more detail and comment on the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism’s Bullying Report.
Trisha Rich is a commercial litigator and legal ethicist at Holland & Knight, the Secretary of the Chicago Bar Association, and the Past President of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers, the national bar association for legal ethicists.
Daniel Rossman is a 3L at New York University School of Law.
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CBA RECORD 39
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