Illinois Bar Journal

 “Perhaps no professional shortcoming is more widely resented than procrastination,” states Illinois Rule of Professional Conduct 1.3, Comment [3]. As explained in the Illinois Bar Journal January cover story, “The Procrastination Puzzle,” from a physiological standpoint, procrastination pits two sections of the brain against each other: the prefrontal cortex, which handles logic, reason, and organizational skills; and the limbic system, which triggers our gratification and fight-or-flight reflexes. The problem?

 In her December Illinois Bar Journal article, “Lonely Lawyers,” Karen Munoz notes recent studies suggesting that lawyers are an especially lonely bunch. She asks what could be driving their loneliness and distress and why minority attorneys are especially vulnerable. As she looks for answers, she also raises additional questions, such as, “Are we a lonelier profession because we bear so much weight in silence? How do the nature of the work and the environment contribute to loneliness?

 One out of every four Illinois lawyers recounts being bullied between 2022 and 2023, according to a survey completed by more than 6,000 attorneys.

 In civil and criminal matters, practitioners are confronted with vast amounts of electronic data produced by cellphones that are in constant contact with cell towers, cloud services, and cellphone providers. Recently, however, under Carpenter v.