Registration is open for The Future Is Now: Legal Services conference. Elevate your practice virtually this spring during the Commission’s signature future law event. The fifth annual conference will be held Tuesday, April 27 – Thursday, April 29, from 12 – 2 p.m. CDT on The Future Is Now website thefutureisnow.2civility.org.
Future + Law
The legal profession is at a tipping point. While the events of the past year have upended the practice of law, we’ll be realizing the long-term impacts for years to come.
Given the rapid adoption of technology and alternative legal services models, is it time to rethink lawyer competency, or the essential skills needed to practice law?
Workplace stressors – including the billable hour – haven’t gone away amid the pandemic, leading many attorneys to seek out new ways to cope. Are long-established structures actually harming the profession and, if so, are we ready to take a hard look at setting new expectations?
Importantly, one-size-fits-all recruitment and retention efforts aren’t working – but what is? How can the profession create a culture where DEI goals aren’t just metrics, where each person’s unique contributions are valued, and work, mentorship, and sponsorship opportunities are shared?
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism’s The Future Is Now conference brings together lawyers, judges, legal academics, and other professionals from around the globe to discuss these critical issues and more. Join us in April to debate the future of the legal profession.
10
industry-leading speakers
3 days
of content exploring issues in future law, attorney well-being, and DEI
300+
legal professionals from around the globe
5.25
hours of professional responsibility CLE
[The Future Is Now] provides a great opportunity to stop, look around, assess, and hear some really good ideas from such a great mix of speakers.
Michael O’Connor
Executive Director, Prairie State Legal Services
It’s good to have a broader view of what’s happening in the practice of law; what changes are causing stress to attorneys, how we can best be setting a civil tone in our courtrooms.
Hon. Debra Walker
Circuit Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
There’s so much rich information; the speakers are outstanding. The balance between high concept and pragmatic information I think is fantastic.
Will Hornsby
Attorney at the Law Office of Will Hornsby and former ABA staff counsel
The idea that you can spend a whole day hearing about these issues, thinking about them, talking about them with other people, it was sort of like a mental massage.
Sandra Yamate
CEO, Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession
All of the ideas came from a place where people were trying to improve the profession and provide better access to justice for the public.
Jerry Larkin
Administrator, Illinois ARDC
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Commission Blog
Read more on future law, lawyer well-being, diversity and inclusion, and other issues impacting the legal profession.
The Future Is Now is Going Virtual! Register Today.
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8 Steps for Retaining Women of Color Lawyers
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A lack of diversity and inclusion has plagued the legal profession for decades. Despite incremental progress in hiring, law firms haven’t been successful in retaining women of color lawyers in the associate ranks or promoting them to partner.
Reimagining Law: Create a Sense of “Belonging” in the Legal Profession
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In this episode of Reimagining Law, Judge Diane Shelley and Kenyatta Beverly talk about COVID-19’s impact on women of color lawyers, the importance of diversity in law firms and on the bench, and how legal organizations can recruit and retain diverse attorneys.