Mark Palmer

Practitioner in Residence

About

Professor Mark C. Palmer is the Chief Counsel at the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism to facilitate the promotion of professionalism, civility, and integrity among our lawyers and judges in Illinois. Professor Palmer supports the legal and judicial systems to better provide equitable, efficient, and effective service to the public through education and outreach initiatives.

Professor Palmer collaborates with legal mentoring stakeholders across Illinois and the nation to bring the Court’s professionalism-based mentoring program to new and experienced attorneys. He further supports the development and delivery of educational programming to lawyers, judges, and law students, and performs outreach across the state on behalf of the Commission.

Prior to joining the Commission, Professor Palmer was in private practice at the Champaign law firm Evans, Froehlich, Beth & Chamley where his law practice focused on areas including commercial litigation, municipal law, banking law, and creditor’s rights, among others. He served as a member of the federal Criminal Justice Act (CJA) panel of attorneys appointed to represent indigent criminal defendants and prisoners in the U.S. Courts. He has represented private and appointed clients in both civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts.

Additionally, Professor Palmer has trained hundreds of law enforcement officers in Illinois at the University of Illinois Police Training Institute, lecturing on topics such as use of force and police liability. His diverse background includes work as a law clerk at the East IP law firm in Beijing, a teaching assistant at the China State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) in Beijing, a law clerk for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in the Narcotics Prosecution Division, a researcher for international executive search firm Spencer Stuart, and as a police officer for the City of Champaign.

Professor Palmer received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his law degree from University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. He is active in numerous bar and civic organizations including on the Board of Governors for the Illinois State Bar Association and as the Chair of the Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI) 6th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee.

Education

JD University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
BA University of Illinois