“So let us begin anew; remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof.”
—John F. Kennedy
Despite decades-old efforts to promote professionalism in the legal field (see the American Bar Association’s 1995 recommendations encouraging bar associations to adopt aspirational standards of civility and courtesy), the issue of incivility continues unabated overall and appears to be worsening. Incivility is characterized by an inherent lack of respect for others, which can be overt or subtle and even take on the dynamic of a bullying or abusive relationship.