Tag: Courtside

Judges and other Dirksen Federal Building staffers hosted a surprise birthday party in early June for a courthouse fixture–Lou Rubin, one of the city’s last court buffs. He was turning 90. Rubin was thrilled but not surprised by the party. Like most court buffs, he prides himself on his talent for gathering intelligence. When he […]

“Oral arguments are masochistic work,” a Chicago lawyer says. “You spend all this time preparing your argument, and then you’re lucky if you can get ‘Good morning’ out of your mouth before you’re interrupted.” Especially when the panel of judges includes Richard Posner. Oral arguments are given by lawyers when cases are appealed to higher […]

Arrests and even criminal convictions are usually inadmissible. But this defendant’s chances may have got a boost when he was allowed to tell the jury about his educational background.