Subject Index President's Page

When I was growing up in Decatur, I had an image of lawyers that has shaped my view of our profession later in life.

A few years ago, as we finished closing arguments in a trial, my opposing counsel came over, shook my hand, and congratulated me on a job well done. I reciprocated with the same compliment.

Tis the Season for giving and lawyers will once again give generously of both their time and money to worthwhile causes. We have a proud tradition of responding to the spirit of this season.

In August we lost a legend in our profession. William G. Clark was a lawyer, a former legislator and legislative leader, a former two-term attorney general and a justice and chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. Justice Clark's contributions to the legal profession and to all three branches of Illinois government are too numerous to mention.

Recently I attended the Decatur Bar Association corn roast at Rex Brown's home in Decatur. 

On July 12th, the ISBA honored its 50-year members as senior counselors during a luncheon at The Standard Club.

My theme this year; in the 125th year of the ISBA; is Take Pride in Your Profession. 

Traditionally, the inaugural President's Page is devoted to the new president's own programs for the coming year or to giving him or her an opportunity to share some personal insights or words of wisdom.

The end of the year is a time for an accounting ; what happened that is good, what happened that is not so good.

If I seem to boast more than is becoming, my excuse is that I brag for humanity rather than for myself.

In the struggle between the stone and the water, in time, the water wins. -Chinese proverb      

The president of any organization gets an overview of what is happening. This year we are losing two members of our Board of Governors who cannot run again because of age or term limitations.

  There is a destiny that makes us brothers, none goes this way alone 
All that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own —Anon.

I began my year as president of the Illinois State Bar Association by saying I would start no new programs.

I am writing my first column as president of the Illinois State Bar Association. As I promised at the ISBA Annual Meeting, there are no new programs.

Every Christmas Eve I watch Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life while I finish wrapping gifts and preparing for the next day.

Each time I reflect on our recent trip to Africa my first vision is of the little children we met in a tribal village in Zambia.

Imagine sitting in a room filled with lawyers from across the nation and hearing that 99 percent of white-collar jobs that we know today will be gone or unrecognizable within the next 10 years.

Around this time I set goals for the new year.

As we celebrate these very special holidays.

One of the memories of my childhood is the day I had a fight with my best friend. Funny, I don't remember what caused the argument.

I have had the opportunity to hear Attorney General Janet Reno speak several times in the past years.

As I sit at my computer today facing a blank screen and the knowledge that my President's Page is now past due, I am suddenly conscious of the public focus on our profession these recent days.

Many years ago I organized the statewide celebration of the Bicentennial of the U.S.

As my term as ISBA president comes to a close, I reflect on a year of constant challenge and joy.

Lawyers have a unique heritage as public citizens.

When Illinois re-enacted the death penalty in 1977, the General Assembly and the criminal justice system made a legal and moral commitment to the people of Illinois that, if executions take place in their name, they would be done right.

One of the fundamental tasks of a lawyer is to find the law and communicate that authority to others.

One of the more celebrated accomplishments of the Illinois General Assembly in 1998 was passage of ethics legislation imposing limits on gifts and contributions to state office holders and candidates for those offices.

The Lawyers Assistance Program ("LAP'') has helped hundreds of lawyers over the last two decades. LAP now needs our help.