Providing justice for your clients through proximity, listening

Professionalism on Point

By Mark C. Palmer

Mark C. Palmer serves as chief counsel for the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism to facilitate the promotion of professionalism, civility, and integrity among lawyers and judges in Illinois. Palmer supports the legal and judicial systems to better provide equitable, efficient, and effective service to the public through education and outreach initiatives. Contact him at mark.palmer@2civility.org.

Posted August 13, 2020 11:44 AM

I sat waiting in a windowless, narrow room built of concrete blocks. Between me and the hot summer day were three steel doors controlled by a deputy sheriff behind a closed-circuit monitor. Eventually, the sound of doors opening and closing told me that Kevin (a pseudonym) was about to join me. He was accompanied by another deputy who reminded me, as he had on previous occasions, that, “The buzzer’s broken, so just pound on the door when you’re done.” In came Kevin, dressed in a white T-shirt, gray sweat pants, and socks …

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