The legal profession is largely self-governed, with its members taking oaths to adhere to certain ethical standards. In Illinois, those standards are codified in the Illinois Rules of Professional Responsibility and the Judicial Code of Conduct. These rules provide the framework by which the Illinois Supreme Court regulates the legal profession and, if necessary, disciplines attorneys and judges.
In order to ensure that prospective attorneys are familiar with principles of legal ethics, Illinois, and nearly all other states, require prospective lawyers to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) before they can be licensed. The MPRE does not test students on Illinois' Rules specifically, but rather focuses on the American Bar Association's Model Rules of Professional Conduct and Model Code of Judicial Conduct, as well as other generally accepted ethical principles.
This guide provides information and resources relating to legal ethics and the MPRE. This page provides a means to compare the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct of 2010 with the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, as well as resources to access the text of each rule set in both print and electronic form. Other pages of this guide provide resources relating to the Illinois and ABA Codes of Judicial Conduct, resources for registering and preparing for the MPRE, and reference and research tools for students, practitioners, and scholars.
When implementing the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct of 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted the ABA Model Rules in many, but not all respects. This box provides links to both sets of rules for easy comparison. The rules are divided into categories based on the ABA Model Rules' table of contents.
| Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct | ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct |
| Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct: Scope | Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Preamble and Scope |
When implementing the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct of 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted the ABA Model Rules in many, but not all respects. This box provides links to both sets of rules for easy comparison. The rules are divided into categories based on the ABA Model Rules' table of contents.
| Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct | ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct |
| Rule 1.0 - Terminology | Rule 1.0 - Terminology |
When implementing the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct of 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted the ABA Model Rules in many, but not all respects. This box provides links to both sets of rules for easy comparison. The rules are divided into categories based on the ABA Model Rules' table of contents.
When implementing the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct of 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted the ABA Model Rules in many, but not all respects. This box provides links to both sets of rules for easy comparison. The rules are divided into categories based on the ABA Model Rules' table of contents.
| Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct | ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct |
| Rule 2.1 - Advisor | Rule 2.1 - Advisor |
| Rule 2.2 - Reserved | Rule 2.2 - Reserved |
| Rule 2.3 - Evaluation for Use by Third Persons | Rule 2.3 - Evaluation for Use by Third Persons |
| Rule 2.4 - Lawyer Serving as Third-Party Neutral | Rule 2.4 - Lawyer Serving as Third-Party Neutral |
When implementing the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct of 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted the ABA Model Rules in many, but not all respects. This box provides links to both sets of rules for easy comparison. The rules are divided into categories based on the ABA Model Rules' table of contents.
When implementing the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct of 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted the ABA Model Rules in many, but not all respects. This box provides links to both sets of rules for easy comparison. The rules are divided into categories based on the ABA Model Rules' table of contents.
When implementing the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct of 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted the ABA Model Rules in many, but not all respects. This box provides links to both sets of rules for easy comparison. The rules are divided into categories based on the ABA Model Rules' table of contents.
When implementing the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct of 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted the ABA Model Rules in many, but not all respects. This box provides links to both sets of rules for easy comparison. The rules are divided into categories based on the ABA Model Rules' table of contents.
When implementing the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct of 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted the ABA Model Rules in many, but not all respects. This box provides links to both sets of rules for easy comparison. The rules are divided into categories based on the ABA Model Rules' table of contents.
| Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct | ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct |
| Rule 7.1 - Communications Concerning a Lawyer's Services | Rule 7.1 - Communications Concerning a Lawyer's Services |
| Rule 7.2 - Advertising | Rule 7.2 - Communications Concerning a Lawyer's Services: Specific Rules |
| Rule 7.3 - Solicitation of Clients | Rule 7.3 - Solicitation of Clients |
| Rule 7.4 - Communication of Fields of Practice and Specialization | Rule 7.4 - Deleted |
| Rule 7.5 - Firm Names and Letterheads | Rule 7.5 - Deleted |
| Rule 7.6 - Reserved | Rule 7.6 - Political Contributions to Obtain Legal Engagements or Appointments by Judges |
When implementing the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct of 2010, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted the ABA Model Rules in many, but not all respects. This box provides links to both sets of rules for easy comparison. The rules are divided into categories based on the ABA Model Rules' table of contents.
The Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct can also be found in print form in:
