The advent of virtual court makes me wonder how trying a case to a camera–and watching it unfold on a screen–changes the zeitgeist of the trial? In some ways, nothing changes. The rules of procedure and laws of evidence remain unaffected. The parties put on their case, admit their exhibits, examine witnesses, etc. While the mechanics differ, the basic premise of the trial remains. What will change, though, is the physical reality of the event. We are entering the era of disembodiment. Rather than using our bodies and all of our senses, our advocacy will be confined to the visual and aural; we will become Max Headroom instead of Clarence Darrow.

Read my article discussing the career of one of Kane County’s most highly regarded Judges, Elizabeth Flood. I weigh in on why politics should play no role in a judicial election and what qualities make a good judge.

It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to look under the hood of one of America’s greatest lawyers. In this candid interview, James T. McLaren shares his influences, role models, practice philosophy, and why he considers himself “an accidental traveler." Mr. McLaren has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for nearly two decades. He is listed in S.C. Super Lawyers publication under the Family Law designation. He and his firm have received the highest rating (“A.V.”), afforded lawyers for legal ability and ethics, in the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory.

I have often said that those who rise to elevated heights in their profession are usually nice people because they have nothing to prove. Cary is no exception. His superpower is definitely his wisdom and emotional maturity. When I asked him what he would tell "young Cary" as a starting lawyer, he said, "everything works out if you do your job." This zen-like simplicity is part of the reason Cary has achieved at stratospheric levels. Cary's long view approach and his ability to stay above the competitive avarice allows him to do great things for his clients.