Highlights from the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission's 2024 Annual Report

ABSTRACT: The Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission's 2024 annual report offers some surprising takeaways on lawyer demographics, disciplinary proceedings, and Illinois rule changes.

The Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) strives to preserve and enhance the integrity of the legal profession through education, outreach, restorative services, and discipline. To aid in its mission, it publishes an annual report providing information on lawyer and practice demographics, disciplinary proceedings, rule changes, and a financial report. Here are some highlights from the 2024 report.

2024 Illinois Lawyer Demographics

Almost half of Illinois lawyers are over the age of 50. About 1 out of every 5 lawyers are 65 or older. As a result, the legal profession in Illinois may face some challenges as older lawyers begin and continue to retire. In 2024, the number of retiring lawyers outnumbered newly admitted lawyers. However, the number of out-of-state lawyers admitted to the Illinois bar continued to rise, offsetting the otherwise declining legal profession population.

Each year, the percentage of women lawyers increases. From 2023 to 2024, the percentage of women lawyers increased by 0.5% for a total of 40.9%. While women make up the majority of lawyers with less than 5 years of experience, men outnumber women after five years in practice. In 2024, 0.14% of lawyers were non-binary and the remaining 59% were men.

2024 Illinois Practice Demographics

Most Illinois lawyers are employed in private practice (65.5%). Over the past five years, the number of solo practitioners and firms with 10 or fewer lawyers has steadily decreased, while firms with 100 or more lawyers have increased. Notably, only 23% of active solo practitioners reported a written succession plan outlining how a firm will continue if the solo practitioner can no longer practice law.

While the number of pro bono legal services hours decreased in 2024, the financial contributions to pro bono service organizations increased.

Among private practice lawyers, 87.3% reported carrying malpractice insurance. Solo practitioners (63.2%) are less likely than firms with 2-10 lawyers (92.9%) to carry malpractice insurance.

2024 Illinois Disciplinary Proceedings

During the pandemic in 2020, the number of investigations considerably dropped. Since then, the number of investigations has steadily increased, but remains below pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, 3.5% of all lawyers were investigated, while 652 lawyers were investigated multiple times.

Clients and former clients initiated most disciplinary investigations (52%). Common complaints involved neglect of the case, incompetence, poor communication, billing disputes, and mishandling trust funds, with neglect being the most common grievance at 25%. The areas of practice most commonly investigated were criminal law, family law, tort law, real estate law, and probate law.

Most of the investigated lawyers ultimately sanctioned in 2024 had been in practice for 30 or more years and were over 60 years of age. Additionally, 60% were solo practitioners, and 15% had been previously disciplined.

One third of the disciplined lawyers experienced substance abuse and mental health issues, which was based on self-reporting or knowledge by staff counsel. The ARDC Report noted that this high number and the increase in the past decade accentuates the need for early identification of impairment issues so that monitoring and support can be provided.

2024 Illinois Rule Changes Affecting the Legal Profession

The amended Illinois Rule of Professional Conduct 8.4(j), effective July 2024, is modeled after the American Bar Association’s Model Rule 8.4(g). This amended rule makes it professional misconduct for a lawyer to “engage in conduct that the lawyer knows or reasonably should know is harassment or discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or socioeconomic status in conduct related to the practice of law.” This rule does not limit the ability to “accept, decline, or withdraw” representation and neither does it prohibit “legitimate advice or advocacy consistent with these Rules.”

Additionally, “conduct related to the practice of law” broadly includes representing clients and interacting with witnesses, coworkers, court personnel, lawyers, and others when representing clients, engaging in law-related activities and professional events including bar association educational or social events, and operating or managing a law practice. This amendment removes the requirement that misconduct be a violation of federal, state, or local statute or ordinance related to discrimination. 

To learn more about the ARDC 2024 Annual Report, visit 2024 ARDC Annual Report Highlights or read the full report here. You can also visit the ARDC website.