The Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism has launched a video series to educate lawyers – especially junior attorneys – on the tenets of professionalism in the modern age.

The first three videos feature advice from prominent attorneys and judges, including Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor.

“You can’t be successful unless you know the rules of professional conduct and embrace them,’’ Chief Justice O’Connor tells viewers.

The U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Marlon A. Primes, was asked what advice he would give to himself as a young man.

“Adhere to the great values that you learned and were instilled in you by your parents,” Primes says, and advises: “During your young career, you will see many examples of unprofessional behavior. Please let that roll off you like water rolls off a rock.”

Cuyahoga County Department of Law attorney Awatef Assad counsels lawyers to find good mentors.

“You are going to find many seasoned attorneys who are willing to share their experiences and guide you as you begin your legal career,” Assad says.

“A focus on billable hours should be secondary to developing a professional attitude towards how we serve our clients and interact with other attorneys and the justice system.”

The Commission on Professionalism is composed of five judges, six lawyers, two law school administrators or faculty and two non-attorneys. Its signature initiative is the Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program, which pairs new attorneys with mentors approved by the commission.

Commissioners are appointed by the Supreme Court of Ohio, sometimes with input from the Ohio State Bar Association and the Ohio Metropolitan Bar Association Consortium. Commissioners are appointed for three-year terms and may not serve more than two consecutive full terms.

View the current membership roster.