COLUMNS

FOR NEW LAWYERS:
ASKED AND ANSWERED
When does a client have to appear?

REAL ESTATE LAW
By James K. Weston
Real Estate on Hold
The real-estate market, still frozen by fear, is producing few opportunities.

LOSS PREVENTION
By Karen Erger
Lawyers, Guns and Money: Pop Songs and Legal Ethics
A musical lesson in malpractice prevention.

PRACTICE NEWS

LAWPULSE | By Helen W. Gunnarsson
Should criminal defendants talk to the press? Human Rights Act doesn’t bar state, federal claims in circuit court; beneficiaries can’t be given power to approve trustee accounts; and more.

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ILLINOIS LAW UPDATE
Post-conviction petition deemed untimely; new laws criminalize interference with the duties of a judicial officer; Department of Revenue amends rules governing income taxes; and more.

ARTICLES

LEGAL RESEARCH | By Helen Gunnarsson
Should You Use Fastcase and How?
Whether you make it your primary online research tool or use it to supplement Westlaw or Lexis, Fastcase can save you money. Lots of it. Here’s how.

DAMAGES | By Jennifer L. Tweeton and Erin N. Graham
The Collateral Source Rule after Wills v Foster
A review of the supreme court’s decision in Wills, which allows plaintiffs to recover the “reasonable” (i.e., undiscounted) value of their medical expenses, even if paid by Medicare or some other third party.

FAMILY LAW | By Celia Guzaldo Gamrath
Declaratory Judgments and Premarital Agreements: In re Marriage of Best
With Best, the Illinois Supreme Court allows before-trial declaratory judgments to determine the validity of a premarital agreement.

EMPLOYMENT LAW/ CONTRACTS|By Peter A. Steinmeyer
Drafting Enforceable Noncompetition Agreements in Illinois
Learn how to increase the odds that your employer-client’s noncompete will pass judicial muster in Illinois’ unfriendly legal environment.

CRIMINAL LAW | By Roger H. Kelly and Zachary M. Bravos
A Critical Look at the Shaken Baby Syndrome
Recent research shows that factors other than abuse may be the cause of damage thought to result from shaking, the authors argue.