April 28, 2020
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism is pleased to announce the launch of a new video series. Reimagining Law will explore how legal and judicial professionals are adapting the delivery of services to meet the unique needs of today’s consumers. The first episodes will focus on the ways that attorneys and judges are continuing to deliver justice amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The weekly series, which will be available on the Commission’s website and YouTube channel, will feature interviews with professionals who are tackling challenges across the legal and judicial spectrum. In some cases, these guests have adapted established practices to the current legal environment. For others, unexpected demands have forced them to innovate, generating novel ways of doing business that may transform legal and court services now and into the future.
“New technology, alternative service providers, and consumer pressures are changing the way that we deliver legal and judicial services. This has become even more evident during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Jayne Reardon, Executive Director of the Commission. “In Reimagining Law, we will expand on the themes discussed at our annual The Future Is Now: Legal Services conference, with firsthand perspectives on the ways we’re shifting long-held norms to deliver more efficient and effective services to the public.”
The Commission has released the first two episodes. In episode one, Katie M. Blakeman, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Sixth Judicial Circuit, Champaign County, answers questions on how circuit court clerks are serving their constituents during this time of social distancing. Episode two features Dr. Diana Uchiyama, Executive Director of the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program, who discusses lawyer well-being during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Reimagining Law furthers the Commission’s goal of fostering more equitable, efficient, and effective legal and judicial systems in Illinois, while also strengthening public trust in these systems,” said Erika Harold, Commissioner and Chair of the Commission’s Communications and Outreach Committee. “Through Reimagining Law, we hope to provide our audience with tools that will enable them to thrive amid the changing realities in our courtrooms, practices, and classrooms.”