Chief United States District Judge Marvin E. Aspen of Chicago, architect of the Seventh Circuit Standards, has accurately observed that civility in the legal profession is inextricably linked to the manner in which lawyers are perceived by the public - and, therefore, to the deteriorating public confidence that our system of justice enjoys. It makes the practice of law less rewarding. It robs a lawyer of the sense of dignity and self-worth that should come from a learned profession. The problem of incivility is more pervasive, and insidious, than its impact on the legal profession alone. It is an end in itself.
Civility has deep roots in the idea of respect for the individual.
The decline in civility is not limited to the legal profession, but this profession has been in the forefront of those addressing this problem.