Overview

The Illinois Supreme Court took two significant steps to confront the concerns and further the aspirations of the profession. First, it created the Commission on Professionalism (the Commission) and gave it a primary charge of ensuring that the practice of law in this state remains a high calling. This mandate was supplemented by the Court's second step, that of establishing minimum continuing legal education (MCLE) rules to require all active Illinois lawyers to attend educational programs, including at least four hours of professional responsibility CLE in each two-year reporting period. Professional responsibility includes professionalism, diversity issues, mental illness and addiction issues, civility, and legal ethics. The Commission is responsible for approving all courses and activities in the area of professional responsibility. In addition, the Commission works in partnership with CLE providers, law schools, law firms and legal organizations to develop and publish model training resources for professional responsibility learning.

The general goal of the Professionalism CLE requirement is to create a forum in which lawyers, judges and legal educators can explore the meaning and aspirations of professionalism in contemporary legal practice and reflect upon the fundamental premises of lawyer professionalism, competence, civility, integrity, and commitment to the rule of law, to justice, and to the public good. Building a professional learning community among the lawyers of this state is a specific goal of this requirement.

For further information about professionalism education (OR about the professional education programs/initiatives ), please contact Donna Crawford, Commission Education Director.