Chair’s column
This issue is out earlier than expected because we had twice as many articles submitted for the last issue.
We want input from all who receive this newsletter. If you have not yet filled out our survey, please click on this link (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2015isbaseniorlawyers)and let us know what you think and how we can better meet your needs and wants.
We have been very busy this ISBA year. We conducted our first downstate "Computer Basics 2015: Is This Thing On? for senior lawyers on Friday, October 9, 2015 at LincolnLand Community College. It was a wonderful program with evaluations showing very high scores for our presenters and the materials.
After the education program the faculty went to the ISBA offices in Springfield, where we were joined by a few others physically present but mostly by telephone for our council meeting.
The council meeting went well in planning more member services.
Frank Ariano, chair of our Strategic Planning Committee, who becomes chair of our section council this coming year, and his committee prepared a survey that 98 of our members responded to since there was a link at the beginning of our email cover letter to people who receive our electronic newsletter.
The committee reviewed the survey results and determined the following:
1. 1% of the Section members who are supposed to get the Newsletter responded to the survey (98).
2. Most are still practicing law or are semi-retired (80 & 9).
3. Most are in Illinois full time or part time (83 & 9).
4. Most have practiced 30-39 years or more (39 & 37).
5. Most concentrate their practice in Real Estate, Estate Planning and Litigation/Civil Practice (42, 38 & 30).
6. Most office in the Chicago area, Northern IL and Central IL (58, 11 & 17).
7. Most are Solo practitioners or firms of 2-5 or 6-10 attorneys (35, 29 & 11).
8. Most use the Newsletter, CLE & Listserv services offered by the SLSC (58, 25 & 13).
9. Most are ISBA, County or Local Bar and Chicago Bar Assoc. members (98, 40 & 30).
The most common “theme” in response to the write-in questions that they were not aware of what the Section and Council offer. We need to do better publicity/and outreach
The most common suggestions of the respondents were to continue expanding the Newsletter and CLE offerings, and to give more information regarding mentoring, socializing, discount programs, and more technology information and training.
Our Council will look into co-sponsoring CLE programs with other substantive Section Councils to provide information requested by some survey respondents.
The committee will continue to explore and recommend ways to better communicate with Senior Lawyers.
Our Newsletter is so important to our readers so here is a little teaser for you to read the articles in this issue.
We are very fortunate to have seven authors prepare short articles for this issue of our newsletter:
Frank V. Ariano shares his experience with the Apple Watch "It Isn’t Just About Time Anymore." He had a long two-month wait.
Don Mateer shares information regarding. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS ECHO? Echo is a nine-inch black tube of sheer fun. If you are an Amazon Prime member, then this is for you.
William A. Austin writes of his FAVORITE APPS. Most, if not all of you, have used PDF files at one time or another. Your use, however, is likely to have been limited to opening and reading a PDF file that someone sent to you. Some of you may ask what a PDF file is. Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format developed by the computer software giant, Adobe Systems, “…to present and share important information.
Loren Golden discusses plastic surgery for Senior Lawyers who want to look younger.
OUR SURVIVAL AS TINKERERS AND CREATORS, By Angela Peters and Sabrina Shafer. Angela Peters shares her experience as a mentor in her portion MENTOR’S 2 CENTS and Sabrina Shafer shares her experience being a MENTEE in her portion LESSONS LEARNED AS A MENTEE.
We know well that one does not learn everything essential to practicing law in law school. The knowledge gap between newly admitted attorneys and seasoned practitioners is the key to a mentor-mentee relationship. Gary Rafool has another one of his interesting book reviews. It is about a new book from someone that we recall from a long time ago. “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee was published in 1960. It was an immediate success, and considered an American literature classic. She never published another book until “Go Set A Watchman” in 2015, which he reviews here. It is available in hard cover (278 pages) and electronically. She is now in her late 80s, and it has even been suggested that she never agreed to its publication. The biggest controversy about this book is its perceived portrayal of Atticus as a possible racist.
Please submit any articles that you would like to write by sending to me at JudgeEdS@gmail.com and to jhmavillelaw@aol.com, jphipps@jphippslaw.com and g.rafool@comcast.net.