Chicago Area

Believed to be 1st time court will hear full term outside Springfield

The Supreme Court will convene for its September 2013 Term in the Michael A. Bilandic Building, 160 N. LaSalle Street, Chicago. The first oral arguments are scheduled for Tuesday, September 10 in the 18th floor Courtroom.

Traditionally, the Supreme Court convenes to hear oral arguments in Springfield. It is believed that this is the first time that a full Term of the Court will be held outside the 105-year-old building since it opened in 1908.

Gov. Pat Quinn announced June 6 the release of $12.6 million to rehabilitate the historic Illinois Supreme Court Building in Springfield. During the construction period which began June 17, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Chicago. Rehabilitation is scheduled to be completed at this time next year. The Springfield office of the Supreme Court Clerk and other Springfield Supreme Court staff moved to an interim location at the Herndon Building, 421 East Capitol Avenue in Springfield. Telephone numbers remain the same.

This will not be the first time that the Supreme Court has heard oral arguments outside Springfield. Five years ago, the Supreme Court heard two oral arguments at the Mt. Vernon courthouse as part of events marking the 150th anniversary of the court building and the 2009 bicentennial celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birth. That courthouse was used by the Supreme Court from 1857 until 1897, when the Court was consolidated in Springfield. The Court then met in the current state Capitol building until the Supreme Court Building at its present location opened nine years later.

Due to popular demand – and recommended for attorneys who have previously taken a mediation course or have some mediation experience – this course was created to meet your advanced mediation needs!

Join us in Chicago on September 25th – September 27th for the opportunity to learn how to design creative resolutions, how to handle difficult attorneys and clients, and know which mechanisms to utilize in order to reach a settlement. Gain a better understanding of the benefits of opening statements, the good qualities and successful techniques of a peacemaker, and when (or if) a lawyer should modify his fees. Discover the problems with mediation, how to handle parties with subrogation interests, and how to grow your mediation practice. Each day closes with hands-on training that requires attendees to participate in various classroom mediation exercises, including a full mediation as a mediator.

The program is taught by Richard Calkins and Fred Lane—two nationally recognized mediators, authors and educators. Until 20 years ago, both Mr. Calkins and Mr. Lane were well-known and highly regarded litigators. Since then, however, they have successfully mediated over 5,000 cases. Mr. Calkins and Mr. Lane are co-authors of the “Mediation Practice Guide” and “Lane & Calkins Mediation Practice Guide.” [The “Lane & Calkins Mediation Practice Guide, 2nd Edition” is included with the purchase of this program.] They are co-founders of the International Academy of Dispute Resolution, which was established in 2001.

The Circuit Court of Cook County is proud to announce the opening of The Cook County Elder Justice Center (CCEJC), an innovative elder-friendly facility that is designed to help elderly citizens navigate the Cook County Court system.

The CCEJC is part of the Circuit Court’s Elder Law and Miscellaneous Remedies Division. The CCEJC is conveniently located and easily accessible on the lower level of the Richard J. Daley Center, Room CL-16.

The unique purpose of the CCEJC is to serve as a resource center for citizens of Cook County who are aged 60 and older. The CCEJC will provide information and support needed to help older adults avoid becoming victims of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation. The CCEJC will also provide referrals to the appropriate legal and social service agencies.

• Opening Date: September 3, 2013
• Hours: Monday through Friday - 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Location: 50 West Washington Street, Room CL-16
• Telephone: (312) 603-9233

By Nancy Gier, Special to the Tribune

After stints as an attorney in both the public and private sectors, Alison O'Hara Barasa joined the family business and went on to become the first female chairman of Follett Corp. in its nearly 140-year history.

Mrs. Barasa joined Follett as senior counsel in 1999 and worked in litigation, contracts, employment and benefits. The company supplies educational materials to schools and is based in River Grove.

Mrs. Barasa became Follett's chairman in 2011 and gained a reputation as a catalyst for change and an innovator in moving the company forward in digital content and technology, despite battling breast cancer, colleagues said.

"Her tenure will be viewed as a pivot point in the company's next 140 years," said Mary Lee Schneider, Follett president and CEO.

Mrs. Barasa, 50, died of complications from breast cancer Saturday, July 20, at Midwest Palliative Care in Glenview, according to her husband, James Barasa. She was a resident of Glenview.

Schneider sat on Follett's board with Mrs. Barasa for more than 10 years.

"She pushed us to look at everything differently. She invited discussion and she felt that the best decisions were made through conversation," Schneider said. "She challenged how the family was involved with the business. There were no sacred cows with Alison."

Mrs. Barasa also served as Follett's acting president and CEO after her cousin Charles Follett retired in 2012. Schneider took over as president and CEO this year.