On many issues, they could only agree that they will always disagree. But they can no longer afford to allow the disagreements to prevent a livable, workable peace arrangement.
As a person distanced from this conflict by background and experience, I came to a greater understanding of lessons learned during all of my travel experience.
At the most fundamental level, we are all so very much alike. We hope to have work that allows us to meet the needs of our families, to educate our children, to have enjoyment of leisure time, and to live in peace.
How gratifying that lawyers are working to make that a reality.
The Fellows of the Illinois Bar Foundation enjoyed a productive experience in their information booth during the ISBA Annual Meeting last month. They signed up 18 new Fellows, and upgraded the status of 14 others in support of the foundation's charitable grants.
The list of additions follows. Those who serve on the ISBA Assembly are indicated with asterisks.
The new Fellows are Fredric Benson and Donald M. Craven of Springfield, Deborah H. Benzing of South Elgin, David A. Berek and Nancy J. Katz of Chicago, William L. Cleaver* of Moline, Keith E. Fruehling* of Urbana, Rodney W. Equi and Mitchell M. Peskin of Wheaton, Joann M. Fratianni of Lake Forest, Melanie Frazek of Blue Island (president of the South Suburban Bar), Matthew A. Maloney of Princeton and Drew Parker of Peoria.
New Silver Fellows are Neal W. Cerne* (president of the DuPage County Bar) and Mary E. McSwain* of Wheaton, Dion U. Davi* of Western Springs, William E. Holdridge of Peoria and Kevin E. O'Reilly* of Chicago.
Those who upgraded to Silver Fellows are ISBA President-elect Robert K. Downs of Oak Park, H. Case Ellis* of Crystal Lake, Gary R. Gehlbach of Dixon, Cheri N. Greenlee of Rockford, Richard L. Hutchison of Tinley Park, George F. Mahoney III of Joliet, James F. McCluskey* and Michael C. Wiedel* of Downers Grove, Brian R. McKillip and David F. Rolewick of Wheaton, Lisa M. Nyuli* (president of the Kane County Bar) of Elgin and Naomi H. Schuster of Palos Heights.
Dennis J. Burke* of Chicago upgraded to Gold Fellow, and Steven B. Levy of Naperville upgraded to Diamond Fellow.
For information about the Fellows program and other means of supporting the Bar Foundation, contact executive director Susan M. Lewers by telephone at (312) 726-6072 or by e-mail to smlewers@isba.org.
The two-year-old Jerseyville CASA is one of seven organizations of court-appointed special advocates that were awarded grants recently by the Illinois Bar Foundation.
CASA volunteers "act as the eyes and ears for the judges in neglect and abuse cases," said Belleville attorney John M. English, an advisory member of the Bar Foundation board who investigated the Jerseyville grant application.
"They do many things for these children," he said, "including providing clothes, doctor visits, talking to teachers, and they follow up with their parents and foster parents once they are placed."
Located in the Jersey County Courthouse, the Jerseyville CASA is managed by Pamela Travers, its only full-time paid employee. She administers about 10 community volunteers in some 20 cases involving 30 children, English pointed out.
The $38,000 budget is supported by a $15,000 grant from the Illinois attorney general, fund-raising events and donations from civic groups. The Bar Foundation grant of $3,000 will be used for manuals and videotapes used in recruiting and training additional volunteers.
Each volunteer receives 30 hours of classroom instruction and five hours of court observations before being allowed to serve an appointment. Group meetings are held regularly, and continuing education is conducted.
Jersey County Presiding Judge Thomas G. Russell of the 7th Circuit and State's Attorney Mary Ellen Kirbach expressed support for the CASA program and appreciation for the dedication of Travers.
Russell told English that CASA provides him with helpful, impartial observers who assist him in making correct decisions in neglect and abuse cases.
"Because Jersey County is such a small, rural county, most of the volunteers are from Madison County," English noted, "and therefore have no ties to the people they are investigating." This is extremely helpful to the judge.
Bar Foundation grants totaling $24,000 were made in the past year to CASA organizations in Jerseyville, Franklin County, Lee/Carroll County, McLean County, Cook County, Kane County and Will County.
ISBA fifty-year members to be honored during Sept. 9 lunch
The ISBA will honor 54 lawyers as Senior Counsellors during a luncheon Thursday, Sept. 9, at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel. Each will be recognized for 50 years of membership in good standing. The list of honorees follows:
CHICAGO
Clyde Bowles
Gilbert Cornfield
Eugene Crane
John Duffy
David Fargo
Merrill Freed
Sheldon Gardner
Herbert Glieberman
Norman Gold
Arthur Gorov
Thomas Karacic
Bernard Kleinman
Myron Lieberman
James Murphy
John Murray
Nat Ozmon
David Pauker
Harvey Pyes
Manuel Solotke
Eileen Strang
Theodore Swain
Guerino Turano
COOK COUNTY SUBURBS
Harry DeBruyn, Orland Park
Alfred Gallo, Hillside
Fred Kaufmann, Burr Ridge
Leonard Lauter, Skokie
John O'Neil, DesPlaines
William Quinn, Wilmette
Edward Rosen, Skokie
Gerald Rubin, Northbrook
Kenneth Zak, Palatine
COLLAR COUNTIES
Randle Johnson, Elgin
Edward Jurow, St. Charles
DOWNSTATE
Hollis Benjamin, Peoria
Edward Booth, Decatur
Edward Enichen, Rockford
Anthony Fabiano, Rockford
Charles Flack, Macomb
Richard Hart, Benton
James Herr, Pontiac
Curt Lindauer, Belleville
Warren Peters, Lincoln
Daniel Reese, Taylorville
Carl Stowe, Greenville
Curtis Trevor, Moline
James Uhl, Decatur
OUT OF STATE
John Albrecht, Missouri
Donald Beimdiek, Missouri
Charles Eklund, Wisconsin
George Graziadei, Nevada
Gerald Ippel, California
George Lundin, Washington
Richard Moore, Virginia
Trial lawyer Ozmon is devoted to justice
Chicago trial attorney Nat P. Ozmon, who will be honored Thursday, Sept. 9, as an ISBA Senior Counsellor, is a compassionate man "who starts each day knowing he is 'in service' to others."
Those were the words of colleague Philip H. Corboy, when Ozmon was inducted in 2003 as a Laureate of the Academy of Illinois Lawyers. Corboy, a 1999 Laureate, added that "Nat cares about how he conducts himself, and how his actions impact our world."
Ozmon graduated first in the class of 1954 at the Northwestern University School of Law. He is a partner in Anesi, Ozmon, Rodin, Novak & Kohen, which he founded as Horwitz, Anesi, Ozmon & Associates.
He is a past chair of the ISBA Tort Law Section Council and a past president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, which has honored him with its Leonard M. Ring Lifetime Achievement Award.
ISBA past president David A. Decker of Waukegan calls Ozmon one of the state's "finest civil litigators and champions of the civil justice system." In addition to his courtroom accomplishments "are the voluntary contributions of time and energy to the justice system that have set him apart from many others," Decker said.
Law partner Curt N. Rodin lauded Ozmon for countless appellate cases he has "handled over the years that have molded many aspects of Illinois law." Rodin said Ozmon's "hands-on approach and pride in workmanship has been a career lesson for me."
Ozmon is a charter member and Fellow of the Roscoe Pound Foundation, and a former trustee of the Illinois Lawyers Political Action Committee. He is a founder of Trial Lawyers for Public Justice and the Institute for Injury Reduction.
He is a past chair of the Chicago Bar Association Civil Practice Committee and Appellate Court Congestion Committee, and former vice chair of the American Bar Association Trial Techniques Committee, and a Diplomat of the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys.
Ozmon received a Jurisprudence Award in 1998 from American ORT, and he has been honored by the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education. He has served on the visiting committee and dean's advisory committee of Northwestern's law school.
Dawn Clark Netsch, law professor emeritus at Northwestern who nominated Ozmon as a Laureate, noted that after a half-century of high-visibility personal injury practice, he has "his integrity intact, his knowledge and skills respected and honored, and his person surrounded with good will and affection from those who have known and worked with him."
Fabiano is a formidable but civil courtroom adversary
By Stephen Anderson
Anthony R. Fabiano, who has been written about as one of Rockford's most interesting attorneys, will be honored Thursday, Sept. 9, as an ISBA Senior Counsellor.
Fabiano's exemplary 50-year career as a lawyer was highlighted last year, when the Winnebago County Bar Foundation presented its Seely Forbes Award to him, along with a standing ovation.
That honor is reserved for Rockford-area lawyers who are known and respected in the community for their qualities of kindness, courtesy, thoughtfulness, consideration and moral courage.
While Fabiano has a reputation as a formidable opponent and zealous advocate for his clients, he remains civil and genuinely interested in establishing friendships within the bar.
Perhaps the greatest tribute to him is that two of his children - Thomas H. Fabiano and Lisa R. Fabiano - are his law partners, and another - Janon E. Fabiano - is an assistant Illinois attorney general in Chicago.
The senior Fabiano's career also has included service as an assistant attorney general. He has been secretary of the Winnebago County Bar Association and chair of its legal aid committee, and he was founding president of the county chapter of the Justinian Society of Lawyers.
"My dad was born and raised in Rockford's Italian neighborhood, the youngest of six children," Lisa Fabiano said. "In his high school years, he was a champion pool player, which provided entertainment but not a promising career."
Tony Fabiano was drafted by the Army in 1946 and served in the Medical Corps for 15 months. He majored in psychology at the University of Illinois and developed an interest in Freudian psychoanalysis. He graduated from the College of Law in 1954.
"College was a watershed experience for him, and he became keenly interested in his studies and learning," his daughter said. "He was the first in his family to attend college, and his parents and siblings were very proud to have an attorney in the family."
A few years out of law school, Fabiano represented a young defendant in a case of armed robbery. The lad was found guilty and sentenced to the penitentiary, despite his age. Fabiano took the decision to the Illinois Supreme Court, arguing that it was a violation of the Youth Commission Act.
"On his honeymoon on the island of Nantucket, he received a telegram from his associate that read simply, 'You won,'" Lisa recalled.
"A few days later, my dad went driving along the island coast with his arm around his bride," she continued. "He was stopped by a patrolman because he didn't have both hands on the wheel.
"In traffic court, he argued that Nantucket was advertised as a honeymoon island and it was not egregious behavior to drive with an arm around one's bride. He was found not guilty!"
Tony Fabiano continues a vigorous and active law practice, including service on a panel of commissioners that decides values of land taken by eminent domain for a pipeline from Will County to the Wisconsin border. He was recommended by Judge Philip Reinhard of U.S. District Court.
"Dad always complains that he does the 'pick-and-shovel work,' while we carefully select our cases," Lisa said. "Nonetheless, he enjoys his status as senior partner and mentor to Tom and me."
Gorov was honored as a cancer patient advocate
Arthur M. Gorov, a Chicago attorney who in 1999 received the ISBA General Practice Tradition of Excellence Award, is one of 54 lawyers who will be honored Thursday, Sept. 9, as 2004 Senior Counsellor s for 50 years of membership.
He has been director of the Legal Research Division of the chief judge of the Cook County Circuit Court since February 2000 after 46 years as a personal injury attorney and arbitrator.
A 1954 graduate of the DePaul University College of Law who received a juris doctorate there in 1973, he was a partner in Berkson, Gorov & Levin when he relocated to the Richard J. Daley Center to head research facilities for the judiciary.
Gorov also was a nationally recognized advocate for cancer patients who were trying to obtain insurance coverage for vital treatments. He handled more than 60 such cases, often at the expense of more remunerative clientele.
His sensitive concentration in the resolution of medical nightmares was lauded by James P. Costello in a letter to the Illinois Bar Journal as a positive example of lawyering "in an inherently low-paying, emotionally overwhelming" practice.