Commission Chair
Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism
Targets and Bystanders: Strategies for Responding to the Bullies Illinois Lawyers Face
In October 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism published a report on the experiences and impact of workplace bullying based on a study of more than 6,000 Illinois lawyers.
Lawyers who participated in the study identified the individuals below as responsible for the most recent bullying incidents that they faced:
- A lawyer who worked in a different firm/company (e.g., opposing counsel) – 33%
- A lawyer in the same firm/company in a more senior or very high-level position – 31%
- A judge – 14%
During this session, Illinois Appellate Court Justice Sharon O. Johnson and John Kim, Associate General Counsel at Edward Jones, will provide attendees with practical strategies lawyers can use to respond to bullying in legal workplaces, whether they are being targeted by the bullying or are a bystander or witness to it.
In addition, Commission on Professionalism Executive Director Erika Harold will review key findings of the report and the steps the Commission is taking to address bullying in the legal profession.
Speaker Bio
John Kim serves as Associate General Counsel at Edward Jones where he counsels on labor and employment matters.
Previously, John worked as in-house counsel at State Farm and was in private practice in Central Illinois. He received his J.D. from the American University’s Washington College of Law and a B.A. from Wheaton College (IL). Before attending law school, John worked as a refugee and asylee caseworker in Nairobi, Kenya, and for a faith-based organization in Washington, D.C.
John is active in legal organizations at the national, state, and local levels. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Law Foundation and on the state-wide boards of legal services providers Prairie State Legal Services and the Immigration Project. As a member of the McLean County Bar Association, he serves on the Underwood Committee on Professionalism.
In his community, John is a long-time volunteer at the only free and charitable clinic in McLean County, called the Community Health Care Clinic. Also, he serves on the board of the Children’s Discovery Museum Foundation.
John joined the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism in 2019. He was appointed Vice-Chair in 2022 and Chair in 2024.