Justice
Illinois Appellate Court First District
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
Justice Sharon Oden Johnson serves on the Illinois Appellate Court First District. Prior to her election to the Appellate Court, Justice Johnson served in the Circuit Court of Cook County Domestic Relations Division, where she initiated working relationships with the Illinois Department of Employment Security and the Cook County Works program to assist unemployed parents in paying family support.
Earlier in her career, Justice Johnson owned a boutique law firm, worked for the Chicago Mayor’s Office of Employment and Training, and served as a law clerk for the New Jersey Superior Court.
She has been a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Professional Responsibility, the CBA/CBF Task Force Subcommittee Working Group on the Sustainable Practice of Law, the Illinois Judges Association Subcommittee: Restoring Confidence in the Legal System, the Cook County Bar Association, and many other legal associations.
She was a faculty member of the Illinois Judicial Education Conference from 2014 to 2022 and is a former president of the Illinois Judicial Council.
Justice Johnson received a J.D. from Howard University School of Law and a B.S. from Bradley University. She has served on the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism since 2022. She was appointed Vice-Chair in 2024.