But pride doesn't seem to motivate those pointy fingers to grasp pen and checkbook with commensurate largesse. The days of December dwindle down to the chill of January, and another long, long while of meeting legal needs of the indigent begins.
"September Song" has a second verse that one doesn't hear as often. The older man (Huston was 54 when he sang it) tries to discredit the trivial entreaties of younger suitors: ". . . if you examine the goods they bring, They have little to offer but the songs they sing. . ."
The Illinois Bar Foundation, which needed almost 50 years to surpass the two-million-dollar mark, has a goal of $5 million by 2005. This may seem optimistic, but we're talking about less than $100 per ISBA member. Two bucks a month for about four years!
We must have more to offer than the songs we sing about the contributions of lawyers to their community and profession.
Supreme Court fills circuit vacancies
The Illinois Supreme Court recently filled vacancies on the 17th Judicial Circuit and Cook County Circuit Courts.
Rockford attorney Joseph G. McGraw was appointed Nov. 6 to the 17th Circuit vacancy that will result when Chief Judge Michael R. Morrison retires at the end of the year. McGraw's tenure will run from Jan. 2 to Dec. 2, 2002, and he will seek election to the seat.
A 1985 honors graduate of the Northern Illinois University College of Law, McGraw was an assistant state's attorney in Warren and Winnebago Counties before becoming a partner in Turner & McGraw in 1989. He founded The Law Office of Joseph G. McGraw in 1995.
A member of the Winnebago County Board since 1998, McGraw chairs its legislative committee, reapportionment committee and rules committee. He is past chair of the Winnebago County Bar Trial Section and chair of the Belvidere Outreach Ministry.
Lewis Nixon, assistant general counsel in the Midwest Region of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, was appointed last month to the Cook County Circuit Court. He will serve until Dec. 2, 2002, filling the vacancy of retired judge Michael B. Bolan.
A graduate of the DePaul University College of Law, Nixon has been principal legal adviser for HUD in the Midwest since 1983. An adjunct professor of civil litigation and corporate law at Roosevelt University, he has been an assistant U.S. attorney and an associate in Conklin & Adler, Chicago.
Associate appointed
Clark County State's Attorney David W. Lewis has been appointed an associate judge of the 5th Circuit Court. A 1978 graduate of The John Marshall Law School, he has been county prosecutor for more than 20 years.
A past president of the Illinois State's Attorneys Association, Lewis is a board member of the Office of Appellate Prosecutor and a former vice president of the Illinois Association of County Officials.
Chief is re-elected
Chief Judge James M. Wexstten of the 2nd Judicial Circuit, secretary of the Illinois Judges Association, has been re-elected to a two-year term. He was chief judge from 1991 to 1993, and returned to the position in January 2000.
A member of the ISBA Special Committee on the Future of the Courts Conference and co-chair of the Special Committee on Funding the Courts, Wexstten has been a circuit judge since 1988. He is a past president of the Jefferson County Bar Association.
Prosecutor installed
Patrick J. Fitzgerald, former assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, was installed Nov. 16 as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. Chief Judge Marvin E. Aspen of U.S. District Court administered the oath.
Fitzgerald had been appointed interim U.S. attorney by Attorney General John Ashcroft on Sept. 1, and the U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination unanimously on Oct. 23. He succeeds Scott R. Lassar.
A member of Phi Beta Kappa and a 1985 graduate of the Harvard Law School, Fitzgerald was chief of the New York district's Organized Crime-Terrorism Unit. He also has been national security coordinator and chief of the Narcotics Unit.
Barry on Gaming Board
LaSalle attorney Tobias G. Barry, a former justice of the Illinois Appellate Court and state legislator, was appointed last month to the five-member Illinois Gaming Board.
Barry serves on the ISBA Civil Practice and Procedure Section Council, the Committee on Legislation and the Committee on Judicial Evaluations Outside Cook County.
Government lawyers invited to network
The ISBA Committee on Government Lawyers has invited Chicago-area government lawyers and special guests to a reception from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, in the ISBA Chicago Regional Office.
The program, "Pride in Our Profession: The ISBA Salutes Government Attorneys," is intended as an opportunity for networking with colleagues and learning about the committee's initiatives.
For more information or reservations for the reception, call Janet M. Paul, director of bar services, at (312) 726-8775.
Discretion is urged in party by law firm for new judge
Lawyers in a firm may celebrate the induction of a colleague as a judge as long as the event does not intentionally enhance the image of the law firm.
That's the ruling in one of two new advisory ethics opinions being circulated among judges throughout the state by the Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee.
The digest of Opinion No. 01-11, released Oct. 9, states: "It is proper for a judge to be feted at a post-investiture party sponsored by his or her former law firm, so long as it is not intended to advance the interests or status of the law firm."
Citing Rule 62, the committee called it "common courtesy to permit such a celebration," but the judge "may need to exercise selected control over the particulars of the gathering."
To avoid the appearance of impropriety, the opinion suggested, "a judge should be concerned about the magnitude or extravagance of the celebration and the number and nature of those invited."
Also citing Rule 63, the committee warned judges to adhere strictly to clearly defined disqualification requirements involving their former law firms.
Also released Oct. 9 was Opinion No. 01-10: "A judge may serve on the board of directors of a not-for-profit Drug Court organization."
In this case, the Drug Court association was established with a federal grant under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, at the direction of the Illinois Supreme Court, to help rehabilitate drug-addicted offenders and keep them out of the correctional system.
Citing Rules 64C and 65B, which permit judges to participate in such endeavors, the committee also drew attention to certain limitations prescribed by the rules.
IJEC advisory opinions are based on hypothetical fact situations and questions submitted by judges, and are not binding in disciplinary tribunals. Call Maureen McClelland at (847) 470-7204 for full texts, or access the www.ija.org web site.
Members of the Illinois State Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association and Illinois Judges Association participate in drafting the opinions as an educational service to the judiciary and the public.
John English honored as Boss of Year
Belleville attorney John M. English was honored recently by the St. Clair County Legal Professionals Association as its Boss of the Year.
A partner in Kassly, Bone, English & Weilmuenster, English has served for several years on the ISBA Committee on Judicial Evaluations. He is president of the St. Clair County Bar Association and the East St. Louis Bar Association.
A 1974 graduate of the St. Louis University Law School and former assistant state's attorney, English is attorney for the Althoff Catholic High School and a board member of the Southern Illinois Area Credit Union. He is active in the Pro Bono Project for Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation.
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Judge Charles P. Kocoras of U.S. District Court for the Northern District will be honored Feb. 16 by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America during a dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago.
Judge Kocoras will receive the Torch of Friendship Award for his efforts to create awareness of the digestive disease and to improve the quality of life for afflicted children and adults.
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ISBA Assembly member Albert E. Durkin of Chicago received a Lewis University Alumni Achievement Award for professional achievement and community service during a Nov. 18 ceremony. He also serves on the Tort Law Section Council.
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Robert E. McKenzie, a partner in Arnstein & Lehr, Chicago, has received an Excellence in Education Award from the National Association of Enrolled Agents, an organization of people who practice before the Internal Revenue Service. McKenzie has been a dean and faculty member for the National Tax Practice Institute.
New lawyers get insights on beginning to practice
"Bridge the Gap Between Your Legal Education and Your Legal Career," a special ISBA Midyear Meeting seminar for lawyers beginning private practices, will take place from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, in the Sheraton Chicago Hotel.
The ISBA Young Lawyers Division Council is the sponsor of this informative program, in which experienced attorneys will offer valuable insights and stay for the complimentary reception that follows.
Assistant state's attorney Holly A. Petrik of the Cook County Child Support Enforcement Section, is the moderator. A YLD Council member, she serves on the Committee on Legal Education, Admission and Competence and the Special Committee on the Future of the Courts Conference.
Welcoming remarks will be provided by ISBA President Tim Eaton of Chicago and YLD Council chair Angela Coumas DiVito of Chicago.
At 1:40 p.m., Tia C. Glass of Cozen O'Connor, Chicago, will explain How to Prepare for and Take an Effective Deposition.
At 2:20 p.m. Daniel J. Arnett of Iwan, Cray, Huber, Horstman & Van Ausdal, Chicago, will conduct a primer on Client Relations 101.
At 3 p.m., Karen J. Dilibert, vice president and director of loss prevention for the ISBA Mutual Insurance Co., will review Resources for Getting Real World Advice on Ethical Dilemmas.
At 3:20 p.m., Cindy M. Johnson of Chicago will talk about Post-judgment Collections.
There is no charge to attend this seminar, other than Midyear Meeting registration, but advance reservations should be made by using the form on page 13.
Illinois Bankers to hold Bank Counsel Conference
The Illinois Bankers Association will conduct a Bank Counsel Conference from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, at the Swissotel, Chicago. A reception will follow. Call (800) 878-2265 to register.
Keynote luncheon speaker will be Paul V. Reagen, senior vice president and U.S. general counsel for Harris Trust and Savings Bank/Bank of Montreal.
IBA senior vice president and general counsel Bruce Jay Becker will open the conference with an update on Illinois legislation and case law that affect the banking community. A federal update by Karen Sparks, chair of the ABA Banking Law Committee, will follow.
From 10 a.m. to 12 noon, a Regulatory Roundtable will review current legal issues from the perspective of supervisors. Panelists are Coreen S. Arnold, Timothy E. Divis, William M. Lloyd, Stacy P. Powers and Dale R. Turner.
Afternoon sessions from 1 to 2:30 p.m. are: Federal Tax Law Reform with Charles D. Fox IV of Schiff, Hardin & Waite; Internet Issues for Banks with Edwin S. del Hierro of Barack, Ferrazzano; Debt Collection and the New Privacy Laws with Marc P. Franson of Chapman & Cutler.
The program will conclude with a presentation on Cutting Edge Issues in Commercial Loan Transactions by Robert T. Bruegge of Cox Bruegge, Edwardsville, a member of the ISBA Commercial, Banking and Bankruptcy Law Section Council.
Illinois Institute
Seminars to be presented this month by the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education follow. Call (800) 252-8062 for registration and program details.
"Wills of the Rich and Famous," a workshop in practical will drafting for all estates Wednesday, Dec. 5, at the University Club of Chicago.
"To Claim or Not to Claim: The Art of the Possible in Construction Disputes," a master course with Stanley P. Sklar, a member of the ISBA Alternative Dispute Resolution Section Council Thursday, Dec. 6, at the University Club of Chicago.
Decalogue Society
Upcoming programs in the continuing legal education series of the Decalogue Society, held at 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays on the third floor at 39 S. LaSalle St., include the following:
Dec. 5 - My Son, the Solo Practitioner, with Stephen L. Hoffman; Dec. 12 Jewish lecture; Dec. 19 Immigration Nuts and Bolts, with Daniel Azulay. The series will resume Jan. 9.
Arnstein & Lehr
A seminar on "Managing New Employment Issues Created by Technology" will be presented from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday,