The Illinois Supreme Court has announced today the adoption of certain new rules governing the legal profession in Illinois. The changes are intended to help minimize many of the risks that lawyers face in the private practice of law. In doing so, Illinois becomes the first state in the nation to adopt Proactive Management Based Regulation (PMBR). The rule changes were based upon a multi-year study of PMBR initiatives in other countries and in the United States, and after consultation with key Illinois stakeholders, including many bar association and lawyer groups.
The new programme is currently limited to private practice lawyers who don’t carry malpractice insurance. Along with other licensing requirements, affected lawyers will have to complete an online self-assessment and education programme covering a range of professional responsibility areas in which bad habits routinely blossom into ethics complaints. The results of the biennial reviews will then be shared with the lawyer, along with resources intended to help them address problems spotted in the review.