The text was compiled by retired presiding judge Benjamin S. Mackoff of Schiller, DuCanto & Fleck, who serves on the foundation's Civic Program Committee, and family law attorney Richard D. Doermer.
The guidebook overview points out that "While the parents involved have at least some control over the process, the children involved have no control, and their very real powerlessness is hurtful to them, no matter how good-natured the divorce."
A concise series of 15 questions follows, with narrative answers that reflect the importance of children's feelings in resolving such dissolution issues as visitation and custody.
For instance, the question, "What reactions should I expect from my children during this period of change?" is answered with descriptions of symptoms of denial, self-blame, anger and depression, and suggestions for coping with them.
Also included are a 10-point "Children's Bill of Rights in Divorce" and an extensive bibliography of pertinent reading material for children, parents and legal counsel.
"The intent of this civic project is to assist as many adults and children as possible during this difficult time," said Anne Shea, executive director of the Civic and Arts Foundation.
Copies of the publication may be obtained from the court's Domestic Relations Division or by contacting the foundation at (312) 435-5961 or http://civicandarts.org.
Interstate adult offender compact rules to be aired
Donald Blackburn, director of the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision (ICAOS), will discuss requirements imposed on the criminal justice system by new Interstate Compact rules during a joint meeting next month of the 19th Judicial Circuit and Lake County Bar Association.
A light luncheon will be served during the program, which was announced by Chief Judge Christopher C. Starck, from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, in the jury assembly room of the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan.
The Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision controls the movement of about a quarter-million offenders across state lines. It replaced the former Compact for Supervision of Parolees and Probationers that was established in 1937. New compact rules took effect Jan. 1.
The intended audience for the Lake County program includes judges who would handle Interstate Compact cases, and practitioners from offices of the state's attorney, public defender and adult probation division who also might be involved.
Blackburn will clarify provisions of the compact and penalties that may affect jurisdictions that do not comply (including punitive actions), and will address legal and liability questions from participants.
There is no charge to attend the presentation, but advance reservations must be made by calling Mandy at (847) 377-3903.
7th Circuit posts jury instructions
Publication of new federal pattern civil jury instructions for the 7th Circuit was authorized May 24 by the Seventh Circuit Judicial Council. They may be accessed at www.ca7.uscourts.gov.
The drafting committee appointed by Chief Judge Joel M. Flaum of the Court of Appeals, and chaired by Judge Robert L. Miller Jr. of the Northern District of Indiana, will remain in place to update the instructions in accordance with new case law and to draft instructions for areas of the law that lack them.
The Web site includes complementary existing pattern criminal jury instructions drafted by a committee chaired by Judge William J. Bauer of the Court of Appeals and updated by Judge James B. Zagel of the Northern District of Illinois.
Central District to revise rules
The U.S. District Court for the Central District has given public notice of proposed revisions to Local Rules 12.1 and 16.3 that would clarify the procedures to be used in prisoner cases.
The court is accepting written comments on the proposed revisions through Monday, Aug. 15. Comments may be directed to John M. Waters, Clerk, at the U.S. District Court, 600 E. Monroe, Springfield 62701.
The full text of the proposed revisions may be obtained from court clerks' offices in Peoria, Urbana, Springfield or Rock Island, or may be accessed on the Web site, www.ilcd.uscourts.gov.
Communication costs could be draining your profits
By Paul Sullivan
If your firm is like ours, every month you get dozens of phone calls, e-mails, faxes and mail solicitations offering better and cheaper phone service, long distance, Internet access, a better deal on cell-phone service, etc.
The communications business changes almost daily it seems. Knowing who has merged with whom, who has the best prices, what charges are fair, which are outrageous, what services cost what, and whether you're getting overcharged for these services is nearly impossible to determine.
Behind the scenes, these communications companies are like giant termites slowly and quietly eating away at your firm profits by adding hidden charges charging you ridiculous rates for things you don't need, and of course never telling you they've offered your neighbor a better price for the same service.
I can almost guarantee that your office is paying for something you don't need, or overpaying for a service you currently use. You likely have neither the time nor the resources to analyze your current costs regularly and research other available options.
This makes you the ideal customer for someone to take advantage of. So what are your options?
You can do nothing, or worse, you can take the attitude that this isn't that big of a deal, so why worry about it. You can take your time, or activate the resources of your office to educate yourself.
Although a good solution, that can be costly because you need to stay on top of it, Changes in the industry are constantly occurring.
The third best option is to utilize the ongoing services of a person you can trust, one who doesn't cost you anything. Yes, you read that correctly!
This person will come into your office and do a complete analysis of all your communications contracts, review all your bills, and then make recommendations based on that analysis. The fee is usually a percentage of the amount you will have saved over a fixed period of time.
If you don't save anything, it doesn't cost you anything. The result is that you get the benefit of saving dollars over a long period of time, but you have to share the savings for only a short fixed period.
These people, who are experts in the communications industry, can open doors you don't even know exist. Because of their contacts in the business, they can often get overcharges reversed retroactively.
They are always informed of the latest and greatest rate plans offered by the vendors. Because they are reviewing bills in a wide variety of businesses, they are alert to the latest tricks and gimmicks of the vendors to put hidden charges on your bill.
Engaging a specialist on an ongoing basis is something I would recommend. They know when your current contracts expire, and they are often in position to get you renewals at preferred rates. They will come in regularly, audit all your bills and discover anything that is out of the ordinary.
When it's time for you to make a major decision, they can advise you objectively. Although this advice may require you pay a fee, you will feel comfort in knowing that the recommendation is an educated one, not based on a vendor trying to sell you a product or service.
Because you have nothing to lose and everything to gain, I question why you wouldn't do this. If you must deal with these issues on your own, however, the following are some things you should consider:
1. Stay on top of your contract dates with all your vendors and begin negotiations prior to expiration. They'll be anxious to give you a better deal, knowing their competitors can't offer anything until the contract expires.
2. Make sure your contract fits your usage levels. You can save considerable dollars by committing to certain levels, but there are penalties if you fail to make them.
3. Watch out for hidden charges, particularly on wireless. Directory assistance calls can range as high as $2.50 each, and instant messaging and text messaging are expensive features you may not need.
4. Make sure you're not being billed for features you never use.
5. Receiving detailed bills by mail may cost you more than getting those bills electronically. Some companies actually charge for mailed statements.
6. Be careful with wireless companies. You may purchase a particular model of a PDA phone and end up getting a monthly charge automatically added for a service you didn't order.
There are many other things to be aware of. If you had someone you trust come in and do this, someone who'd already know what to look for, it would cost you only a small percentage of what you could save. What are you waiting for? It's costing you money!
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Paul Sullivan, a member of the ISBA Committee on Law Office Management and Economics, is office administrator for the Peoria firm of Quinn, Johnston, Henderson & Pretorius. Questions and comments may be sent to him at sullivan@qjhp.com.
The Northwestern University School of Law will conduct its annual short course on criminal law issues Monday through Thursday, July 25-28. Call (312) 503-8932 for information and registration details.
Experts will make presentations on analysis of DNA evidence, forensic pathology, investigation of crime scenes, gunshot residue, fingerprints, and use of computers in forensics.
U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald of the Northern District will give the keynote speech, "The Rule of Law, and the Prosecution and Defense of Terrorism Cases."
Chicago Volunteer Legal
A free seminar on special education law for pro bono attorneys, especially guardians ad litem, will be conducted at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, in suite 900 at 100 N. LaSalle St. The speaker is Chicago attorney Nancy Z. Hablutzel, co-editor of the ISBA Child Law Section newsletter.
Women in Law
The Women's Bar Association and Law Bulletin Publishing Co. will conduct a Women in Law Conference from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, in the Harris Bank building, Chicago. Breakfast will be available at 7:30 a.m.
Topics of the conference are assessing your value when negotiating for a position, and leadership in non-traditional practice areas. For online registration, access www.lbpc.com/lb_seminars.cfm.
Employment Law Institute
The National Employment Law Institute will present its 29th annual Employment Discrimination Law Update on Thursday and Friday, July 28-29, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago. Call (303) 861-5600 or access www.neli.org.
In addition to updates on significant cases, their implications and applications, topics include EEOC developments in harassment, reduction-in-force plans, prevention of retaliation, and effective in-house investigation strategy.
An ADA update will focus on issues affecting definitions of "disability" and "qualified," recent developments in FMLA law, and settlement strategies that include nuances of alternative dispute resolution.
John Marshall Law
The John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Support Center will hold a Fair Housing Conference on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 9-10. Call Elaine Morey at (312) 427-2737, ext. 492.
The conference title is "Predatory Home Lending: Moving Toward Legal and Policy Solutions."
Central Illinois Paralegal
The Central Illinois Paralegal Association will hold its 16th annual continuing legal education seminar from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, at the Eastland Suites Conference Center, Bloomington.
Topics include professional development, legal research, constitutional law, forensic investigations, legal issues in modern communications, and bankruptcy. Call Deborah Bradd, (217) 935-8341, or Lisa Craghead, (309) 766-1936.
Q: Is there a rule that governs whether a or an precedes a noun that begins with the letter h? For example, would you say "a historic" or "an historic"?
A:Authorities differ on this question. Webster's Third New International Dictionary (1993) lists as illustration of correct usage, "an historic occasion" and has nothing to say about "a historic occasion." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Fourth Edition, 2000, on line), while not stating a preference for either a or an, uses as illustration, "a historical character." And William A. Sabin, in his 1992 Gregg Reference Manual, says that if the h is pronounced in either phrase, it should be preceded by the letter a; if the h is silent, both phrases should be preceded by an.
So you are free to do as you like. Britons, who are more apt to drop the h sound than are Americans, traditionally have dropped the h in both phrases and use an. I recall vividly a British scientist at an international conference dashing up to a prospective speaker and asking "Ave you your pipers?" In the film, "My Fair Lady," the Cockney flower-girl, who ungrammatically dropped and added her h's, was the despair of the aristocratic snob who was coaching her to speak "upper-class dialect."
In this country, however, we routinely pronounce the h sound in most words that begin with h (with only a few exceptions, like honor and honest) so to be consistent we should pronounce the h in historic/historical and precede both words with a.
English speakers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean automatically observe a "rule" that the sound of the following word not the spellingdetermines the choice of a or an. For example, although both phrases, "a unit" and "a one-week-holiday," begin with vowels, the initial sounds are voiced and are therefore preceded by the article a. But in phrases like "an hour" and "an NPR program," though both h and n are consonants, the initial sounds are unvoiced, so an is chosen.