The child wandering into the background of a video call is more than an amusing interlude that is now part of the practice of law due to the pandemic. It also provides a reminder that, despite the adversarial nature of litigation and other practices, our opponents are humans with the same personal and professional challenges familiar to all lawyers.

For that reason, the importance of professionalism in the practice of law has only increased over the past two years. Long before the pandemic, however, bars and courts recognized that there is a nationwide dearth of civility among practicing attorneys. The importance of professionalism, therefore, has been an important initiative among ethics boards and thought leaders in the area, with numerous articles and continuing legal education seminars dedicated to the topic.