The erosion of civility within the legal profession has always been important to the both the bench and bar. Over 25 years ago, the Seventh Federal Judicial Circuit's Committee on Civility chaired by the Hon. Marvin E. Aspen (this year's Chicago Bar Association Vanguard Honoree) studied the issue of civility and authored a "Final Report of the Committee on Civility of the Seventh Federal Judicial Circuit."

The findings stated that the majority of attorneys in the circuit reported an erosion of ethics in the circuit. The committee report then went on to offer recommendations the profession could take to reverse the trend as well as offered a code of professional conduct that outlined lawyers' duties to other counsel and the court, as well as the courts' duties to lawyers and judges. We invite you to read the report and examine these issues for yourself. Read the report now .