Reporting Professional Misconduct Under Rule 8.3: Ethics of Impaired Lawyers and Lawyers Needing Assistance

Ms. Kepler designs and develops content and distribution of risk control initiatives relevant to the practice of law. She collaborates with the underwriting and claims teams to develop and execute strategies for the profitable growth of the program. Ms. Kepler lectures frequently at CNA-sponsored events and at state and local bar associations and national seminars hosted by industry-leading organizations. She also writes articles focusing on law firm risk control and professional responsibility issues. Prior to joining CNA, Ms. Kepler served as the Director of the ABA’s Center for Professional Responsibility, providing national leadership in developing and interpreting standards and scholarly resources in legal and judicial ethics, professional regulation, professionalism, client protection, professional liability and attorney well-being. Ms. Kepler is a former Associate Solicitor in the Office of General Counsel for the USPTO, where she concentrated her practice in the investigation, prosecution and appeal of patent/trademark practitioner disciplinary matters before the Agency, U.S. District Courts and Federal Circuit, provided policy advice on ethics and discipline related matters to senior management, and drafted and revised Agency regulations. Ms. Kepler has served in various volunteer capacities, including as President, on the Board of the National Organization of Bar Counsel, a nonprofit organization of legal professionals whose members enforce ethics rules that regulate the professional conduct of lawyers who practice law in the U.S. and abroad.  She is Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law School, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and American University Washington College of Law.

Ms. Anderson is a graduate of IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. In 1988, she joined the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission as counsel and currently holds the position of Director of Probation and Lawyer Deferral Services, Intake Manager and Senior Litigation Counsel. During her employment with the ARDC, Ms. Anderson has investigated and prosecuted hundreds of cases of attorney misconduct and has argued several disciplinary cases before the Supreme Court of Illinois. She currently monitors the attorneys placed on diversion, supervision status by the Inquiry Board and probation and conditional admission by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Ms. Anderson is also a frequent presenter at continuing legal education programs on topics related to professional responsibility and lawyer regulation. She is also a current Commission member to the ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs.