L aw Day and its purposes are welcome companions to the as- pirations of legal education. Law schools have a special role in advancing the rule of law in our society; they educate the next generation of lawyers. At the University of Chicago Law School, our teaching of law includes an unabashed enthusiasm for the life of the mind — the conviction that ideas mat- ter and that a single viewpoint or style of thought should not be imposed. In- stead, we seek to expose law students to contrasting views on important questions of law. In this endeavor, we are guided by our university’s commitment to freedom of expression and our values of diversity and inclusion. We believe ideas and ulti- mately laws are made better by discuss- ing and debating them, and students and faculty should be free to ask any ques- tion. Discussions about ideas and laws are more meaningful when they include a wide range of viewpoints and experienc- es, especially when all feel empowered I n recent years, polarizing issues such as hyper-partisanship, COVID-19 poli- cies and societal unrest borne from our nation’s reckoning with systemic racism have provided fertile ground for debate and disagreements. Divergence of opin- ions has oftentimes been articulated in ways that are discourteous, disrespectful and at times, deadly. Bound by rules of professional con- duct and sworn to pursue justice “while maintaining a professional, courteous and civil attitude toward all persons involved in the legal system,” the legal profession can serve as a societal role model demon- strating the ability to work towards reso- lution of issues in a respectful and pro- fessional manner. Yet, the profession has not been immune to the lack of civility in our society. Reverence and respect for the profession has been tarnished by reported incidences of lawyers’ abrasive, boorish and hostile behavior. Nevertheless, the vast majority of law - yers strive daily to practice with courte- sy, candor and cooperation, recognizing
Robust debate encourages healthy communication Thomas J. Miles Dean, University of Chicago Law School
to participate fully in them. We seek to model and impart the val- ue of competing ideas through teaching in our classrooms and clinics. In recent years, we have promoted these values and skills in new ways. At orientation, first-year students participate in a work - shop called “Hearing One Another,” which introduces practical approaches to de- velop effective communication and lis- tening skills. Throughout the year, our Nussbaum Student Roundtables bring together faculty and students with dif- fering viewpoints for civil and vigorous debates on pressing legal controversies. Our Kapnick Leadership Initiative intro- duces students to relationship-building, conflict management, interpersonal com - munication and team problem-solving. Robust conversations about com- mon challenges and respect for each other, even when we disagree, make for a transformative legal education — and as today’s students become tomorrow’s lawyers, such conversations advance the rule of law. that practicing with professionalism and civility contributes to achieving better out- comes for clients and to a more success- ful, healthy career. As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once said, “We can disagree with- out being disagreeable. The next generation must be equipped with this knowledge by learning from more seasoned attorneys the appropriate ways to navigate the profession with fundamen- tal decency and courtesy. As we celebrate Law Day, let us remember our shared re- sponsibility to ensure that new lawyers appreciate civility, respect for the legal system and personal integrity. We do this by modeling the desired behavior and by participating in the education of the next generation via individual mentoring or tak- ing advantage of the many opportunities to engage with our local law schools. The work we do as members of the legal profession is perhaps more import- ant today than ever before. Let us make civility, cooperation and collaboration the norm, and ensure the sustainability of those values in our honorable profession.
Courtesy, cooperation should be the norm Nicola “Nicky” Boothe Dean, University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
42 LAW DAY 2023 • CHICAGO DAILY LAW BULLETIN
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