Professionalism is the cornerstone of the legal profession. Treating others with respect, zealously advocating for clients and abiding by the requirements for integrity and civility are among the highest ideals in the practice of law. But what does the duty of professionalism look like in the middle of a worldwide pandemic?

A court order from the Northern District of Illinois—referred to now as the “Unicorn Order”—made the rounds on legal blogs and news sites recently. In that case, a plaintiff filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and requested a hearing to prevent defendants from selling allegedly counterfeit products that infringed plaintiff’s trademarked unicorn designs. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and wide closures, the court postponed the hearing by a few weeks.