DCBA Brief's From the Editor
May 2006
By John Pcolinski, Jr.
" ‘As a general marches at the head of his troops’, so should wise politicians ‘march at the head of affairs, insomuch that they ought not wait the event to know what measures to take, but the measures they have taken ought to produce the event.’"1
As I was enjoying a brief vacation to the Cactus League (to watch the only real baseball team in Chicago), I took along a copy of the fine biography of Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. The above quote is contained in a chapter on the Revolutionary War phase of Hamilton’s life and is submitted as an example of Hamilton’s view of the requirements of a leader—one who would actually lead rather than pander to popular views. At the time, Hamilton was a young man in his twenties and had only recently emigrated to the colonies from St. Croix. Notwithstanding a very poor upbringing and the fact that he was in the military shortly after he arrived, he made a habit of studying classic literature (The Philippic of Demosthenes in this case) and regularly ruminated on subjects regarding what is good and right.
This month’s President’s page highlights the efforts of our own Circuit Clerk to take measures to produce the event in the realm of electronic filing and court management. Our bar association is taking measures to produce the event of better and better informed lawyers by ramping up efforts to provide CLE in compliance with the new rules. We lawyers can also take measures to better the legal system and the reputation of our profession by striving to double check our facts and evidence before rushing headlong into contentious litigation and confrontation. Often the wrong which one suspects is just that—a mere suspicion. The confrontation is, nevertheless, costly and damaging to the reputation of our profession. 2
This month we have articles relating to piercing the corporate veil, respondents’ in discovery, open-source software and brownfield real estate projects. I want to thank this month’s Lead Articles Editor, Rich Hodyl.
Note 1 Pay Book of the State Company of Artillery Papers of Alexander Hamilton. Ed. Harold C. Syrett et al 27 volumes New York: Columbia University Press 1961-1987 as cited by Ron Chernow, p. 111 Alexander Hamilton, Penguin Books copyright 2004.
Note 2 Yes, I have a case and opponent in mind.
John Pcolinski, Jr., Editor
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