Supreme Court

In September 2005, at the same time that it established mandatory continuing legal education, the Illinois Supreme Court enacted Rule 799 , creating the Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism.

The Commission is charged by Supreme Court Rule 799 to:

• create and promote an awareness of professionalism by all members of the Illinois Bar and bench;
• gather and maintain information to serve as a resource on professionalism for lawyers, judges, court personnel, and the public;
• develop public statements on principles of ethical and professional responsibility for purposes of encouraging, guiding and assisting individual lawyers, law firms, and bar associations on the ethical and professional tenets of the profession;
• assist continuing legal education providers with the development of courses and activities offered to fulfill the professional responsibility requirement for minimum continuing legal education;
• review and approve the content of courses and activities which fulfill the professional responsibility requirement for continuing legal education;
• collaborate with law schools to highlight issues of professionalism within the law school orientation programs and curriculum;
• support courts, bar associations, and other organizations in developing and implementing programs related to professionalism
• recommend to the Court other methods and means of improving the profession and accomplishing the purposes of the Commission.