On March 27, however, the newspaper extolled preparation of high school students for bar-sponsored mock trial tournaments, noting that the Wells High School team placed second in the statewide ISBA program March 3 in Springfield.
Wells was runner-up to Boylan Catholic of Rockford, a team that achieved a remarkable average of 27 out of 30 during the two-day mock trial finals. Timothy Christian of Elmhurst placed third.
Other top-scoring teams among the 51 that entered were Hinsdale Central, Maine South of Park Ridge, York of Elmhurst, Hersey of Arlington Heights and St. Charles East High Schools, and Illinois Math and Science Academy of Aurora.
Three individuals recognized for missing only one question on the mock trial quiz are Sara Hudson of St. Charles East, David Reid of Hinsdale Central, and Crystal Gatewood of Normal West, who also showed outstanding achievement as a mock trial attorney.
"Students in the mock trial program consistently remark that they appreciate meeting with the judges and lawyers who volunteer each year to assist in evaluating and judging," said ISBA staff member Donna Schechter, who coordinates the program for the Committee on Law-related Education for the Public.
"By contributing talent and time, ISBA members make this opportunity much more valuable than a routing classroom experience might be," she added.
Domestic violence victim speaks at training seminar
A keynote luncheon speech, "A Survivor Story," by domestic violence victim Debbie Thompson will highlight the second day of a jointly sponsored Domestic Violence Training Seminar this month in the ISBA Chicago Regional Office.
The presentation will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 9, with opening remarks by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Ann G. McMorrow on the causes and impact of domestic violence and the search for practical solutions.
Justice McMorrow also will introduce the keynote speaker, Cook County State's Attorney Richard A. Devine, for his 9:15 a.m. address.
David H. Hopkins, a partner in Schiller, DuCanto & Fleck, Chicago, will provide a summary of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act at 9:45 a.m. A past chair of the ISBA Family Law Section Council, Hopkins chaired the ISBA task force that drafted the revised act that took effect Jan. 1, 1993.
Schiller, DuCanto & Fleck will sponsor a reception for seminar participants from 5 to 7 p.m. May 9 at La Rosetta Restaurant, 70 W. Madison.
A schedule of presentations and speakers during the two-day program follows.
Wednesday, May 9
11 a.m. The State of Domestic Violence and its Victims; Leslie Landis of the Chicago mayor's office, Jennifer Welch of the Battered Women's Network and Cheryl Howard of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Lunch period follows.
1 p.m. The Role of the Police in a Domestic Violence Case, Judy Martin of the Chicago Police and Randy McKinley of the Bloomington Police.
1:45 p.m. Breaking Down Barriers: Cultural Sensitivity and Domestic Violence; K. J. Jackson of Horizons, K. Sujata of Apna Ghar, Maricella Carillo of Mujeras Latinas and Daphne Glenton of Chicago Connections Women's Programs.
3 p.m. Orders of Protection, Mary Trew of Pro Bono Advocates, Chicago attorney Nancy Carol Murphy and Bridget Healy of the Cook County state's attorney's Domestic Violence Division. Questions and answers follow until 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, May 10
8:45 a.m. Introductions by Appellate Justice Susan F. Hutchinson, secretary of the Committee on Women and the Law.
9 a.m. Assessing and Evaluating the Violent Offender, psychologist William L. White of Bloomington. Followed by luncheon and speech by Debbie Thompson.
1:15 p.m. Judicial Track, with introductions by Appellate Justice Jill K. McNulty; Automated Orders of Protection, Judge Gloria Coco; Nuts and Bolts of Order of Protection Hearings, Judge Francis Gembala; How Domestic Violence Affects Children, Judge George W. Timberlake; Sentencing Alternatives and Programs Available for Offenders, Judge Annette Eckert.
1:15 p.m. Attorney Track: Evidentiary Issues, Proof Other Crimes and Hearsay:Maria McCarthy of the Cook County state's attorney's Domestic Violence Division; Handling a Divorce Case with a Pending Domestic Violence Case or Order of Protection, Belleville attorney Julie K. Katz, chair of the Family Law Section Council; Sentencing, Judge M. Carol Pope of the ISBA Assembly.
4:20 p.m. Immigration Concerns in Domestic Violence Cases, Mary Meg McCarthy of the Midwest Immigration Rights Center. Concluding question and answer period follows.
Sponsors of the two-day seminar include the ISBA Committee on Women and the Law, the Illinois Bar Foundation, the Illinois Judges Association, the Women's Bar Association of Illinois, the Chicago Bar Association Alliance for Women and the state's attorney's office.
Others are the Black Women Lawyers Association of Greater Chicago, the DuPage Association of Women Lawyers, the Decalogue Society, the Women and the Law Committee of the CBA Young Lawyers Section and the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Committee of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.
Members of the seminar coordinating committee are Susan M. Witt, chair of the Committee on Women and the Law; past chair Paula Hudson Holderman and members Susan Hutchinson, Ann Buche Conroy, Yolaine M. Dauphin and Meredith E. Ritchie; Bonnie McGrath, president of the Decalogue Society; Aurora Abella Austriaco, Maria McCarthy, Margot Klein and Pamela A. Paziotopolous.
The registration fee of $75 includes materials and a box lunch. Credit card registrations may be made by calling Teri Litwiller in the Illinois Bar Center, (800) 252-8908, or by facsimile to (217) 525-0712.
Circuit lawyer Lincoln visits log cabinMay 13
Before he caught a train from Charleston to Springfield, en route to Washington, D.C., 140 years ago, Abraham Lincoln visited the grave of his father, Thomas Lincoln, at Shiloh Cemetery near Lerna in Coles County.
He had journeyed to the family farm on Goosenest Prairie for a farewell dinner before he shouldered the awesome task of abolishing slavery and quelling the ensuing rebellion.
An Abe Lincoln lookalike returns to the Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site each year, dressed as he was in 1845 as a circuit-riding lawyer with his "office" inside the legendary stovepipe hat.
His visit this year is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 13, as a Mother's Day treat for his stepmom, Sarah Bush Lincoln. She helped Thomas bring the family from Kentucky to a small farm southwest of Decatur in 1830.
The Lincolns settled in Coles County in 1840, but young Abraham by then had gained acclaim as a Springfield lawyer and state legislator. He made the log cabin a stopover twice each year as he rode the judicial circuit.
Today, the 19th century farm and its surroundings are brought to life in the exhibits of a sprawling interpretive center and a full schedule of events personalized by role-playing volunteers in period costumes.
Quilting, wool spinning, butter making, corn planting, horse shoeing, wheat harvesting, vinegar brewing and candle making are demonstrated from May through October amid celebrations, story telling, bluegrass concerts, harvest frolics and temperance rallies.
An excellent orientation film illustrates life in the 1840s. For information or directions to the visitor center, call (217) 345-1845 or access the web site www.lincolnlogcabin.org.
If you're in the area from May 11 to 20, watch for special events during the National Road Spring Festival. The historic border-to-border route closely follows Route 40 from Indiana to the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River.
Participating communities are Marshall, Martinsville, Casey, Greenup, Montrose, Teutopolis, Effingham, Vandalia, Greenville, St. Jacob and Collinsville. Call (800) 772-0750 or (800) 289-2388 for details.
Computer skills training given at Boot Camp
Basic training for in computer skills will be provided during an ISBA Boot Camp from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 18, in the Gateway Center, Collinsville. Sponsors are the ISBA Committee on Legal Technology and the MacAcademy Windows Academy.
ISBA committee members will assist a professional computer training instructor in conducting the seminar for attorneys, paralegals, secretaries and other law office staff members. The schedule of instruction follows.
9 a.m. Windows 95/98 Operating System Basics; how to access features.
10:15 a.m. Microsoft Word, Basic and Intermediate. Basic session includes creating and saving documents, editing and formatting text, printing, finding help, spelling and grammar checks. Intermediate session includes inserting page numbers and breaks, selecting fonts, using auto correct and auto text, tabs and leaders, borders and shading, finding and replacing.
1:30 p.m. Microsoft Excel, Basic; spreadsheet training, input information and formulas, properties, edit and format cells, spell checker.
3:15 p.m. Microsoft Powerpoint, Basic; using software for courtroom presentations, creating slides, fpormatting text, manipulating objects and using clip art.
Participants will receive all materials and one CD of choice from among Windows Operating System, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Powerpoint or Microsoft Excel.
The registration fee for ISBA members is $135, with an additional $115 each for participants from the same firm. The non-member fee is $200.
To register by credit card, call Brenda Todt at (800) 252-8908 or (217) 525-1760, send a facsimile letter to her at (217) 525-0420, or access www.isba.org. Checks may be mailed to the Illinois Bar Center, 424 S. Second St., Springfield 62701.
Czech Republic legal study trip set inOctober
Prof. Michael P. Seng of The John Marshall Law School is planning its ninth annual legal study trip to the Czech Republic from Friday, Oct. 19, to Monday, Oct. 29. Call him at (312) 987-1446 for complete details and a participation agreement form.
Called "our usual no frills trip" by Seng, the schedule calls for a first stop in Brno from Oct. 20 to 24 for a visit with John Marshall's sister law school faculty at Masaryk University.
Other highlights are the judicial capital, where the Supreme and Constitutional Courts are located, the Moravian spa of Luhacovice, and an evening of culture and music in a South Moravian wine cellar.
The group will travel to the capital city of Prague on Oct. 25 for a joint legal education program with the Czech Bar Association and tours of Prague Castle, Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, and many churches and museums.
The cost of the legal study trip is $2,175, single occupancy, and $1,875 for a second person sharing the same room. That includes round-trip airfare on Czech Airlines, ground transportation, hotel rooms and breakfasts.
Non-refundable deposits of $200 per person must be paid by July 2, with the balance due by Aug. 4. Payments may be by check, MasterCard or Visa. Space is limited, and reservations will be accepted in the order received.
In case of an increase in price due to changes in tariffs, rates or foreign exchange levels from those in effect through June 15, participants may cancel without penalty within five days of notification.
Lawyers check, slash way to hockey laurels
For the second time in five years, the underdog "Lawyers" captured the 2000-01 Chicago Masters Hockey League championship by defeating the "Republicans" 3-2 in overtime March 13.
The game featured excellent defensive play and outstanding goaltending by Rev. Thomas Paprocki for the Lawyers. Goals were scored by Andy Synchef and Scott Sinson before the game winner by Bruce Taylor at 1:30 of the overtime period.
League president Steve Demitro, a member of the Lawyers, commented that "in hockey, as in law, anything is possible with hard work."
"Our team won only four out of 16 games during the regular season," he said, "but managed to go undefeated and win five games in the playoffs and the championship." Paprocki, the "Holy Goalie," was the consensus Most Valuable Player for the semifinal and the championship games.
Other lawyers on the team include Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley, Tony Aiello of Sidley & Austin, Andy Synchef, Lowell Snorf, John Muldoon, Kent Sinson, assistant DuPage County state's attorney Scott Sinson, and Cook County Associate Judge Ted Machnik.
Rounding out the squad are Nick Labun of Motorola, Bruce Taylor of Cole-Taylor Bank, WLS-TV news anchor Rob Johnson and Bob Endacott.
The championship trophy, the Masters' Cup, bears a slight resemblance to the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup. It was specially made in Montreal. As is customary, the trophy will be kept by the Lawyers during the off-season, and each member will take it for a week or two.
To date, the cup has appeared in Chicago's St. Patrick's Day Parade, in the WLS-TV studios during the 10 p.m. news broadcast later that day, and at the children's Mass at St. Constance, where Rev. Paprocki is pastor.
The Chicago Masters Hockey League is composed of 10 teams limited to players 30 years of age and older. The games are played at McFetridge Sports Center, a Chicago Park District facility on the northwest side. This season, games were televised regularly on Channel 21 cable once a week.
Many league players have previous hockey experience professionally, in college or in high school. Others like Paprocki, Labun, Taylor and Machnik, picked up the game in their 30s and 40s. For more information, call Steve Demitro at (773) 247-6246.
Contribution, bequest enhance lawscholarships
A substantial contribution by William L. Niro of Niro, Scavone, Haller & Niro, Chicago, to the DePaul University College of Law will fund a need-based, three-year intellectual property scholarship for an engineering student.
A 1974 DePaul law graduate, Niro also has a degree in chemical engineering and a master's degree in environmental law. He represents corporations and individuals in patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret litigation.