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January 23, 2013 An all-star cast of Chicago legal luminaries will be taking part in the “re-trial” of Socrates, the Greek philosopher who was tried and convicted in Athens on corrupting youth thousands of years ago. Robert A. Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, along with Dan Webb, chairman at Winston & Strawn, will be representing Socrates in a trial testing freedom of speech. Former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, now at Skadden Arps, and…

January 23, 2013 Clifford Law Offices, a nationally renown personal injury and wrongful death law firm, is once again sponsoring a two-hour free webinar that provides professional responsibility credit. “Ethics of Witness Preparation for Deposition and Trial” will be held Thursday, Feb. 21, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at DePaul University College of Law, DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., Room 8005, Chicago. Last year more than 2,000 people attended the seminar either in person or on…

All 787 aircraft in operation around the world, 50 of them total, have been grounded in the wake of the multiple problems with its lithium ion battery. A series of overheating batteries that run the plane’s electrical system led to a comprehensive inspection of the major systems of the high tech aircraft, a grounding of the jets in Japan, then in the U.S. and now across the world. Ray LaHood, the U.S. transportation secretary, said…

In the wake of all the problems that Chicago-based 787 Dreamliners have experienced in the past few weeks, aircraft maker Boeing announced Friday (1/18/13) that it will halt the delivery of the troubled new, high-tech jet until the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides guidance on how to make its batteries compliant. In a statement, a Boeing spokesman said, “We will not deliver 787s until the FAA approves a means of compliance with their recent Airworthiness…

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed a rule for pilots that would ban use of electronics while working. The proposed rule would prohibit flight crew members from using a personal wireless communications device or laptop computer for personal use “while at their duty station on the flight deck while the aircraft is being operated.” As reported in the Federal Register, the rule “is intended to ensure that certain non-essential activities do not contribute to…

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered all Dreamliner flights in this country be grounded. The action comes on the heels of two Japanese airlines voluntarily grounding all 787 flights Wednesday (1/16/13). An All Nippon Airways flight had to land in an emergency in western Japan following a battery fire that led to smoke in the cockpit and cabin. In a press release issued Wednesday, the FAA stated, it was issuing “an emergency airworthiness directive…

Communities surrounding Mason City, Iowa, continue to grieve after a medevac helicopter carrying three crew members crashed Jan. 3, 2013, in a field, burst into flames and killed the paramedic, nurse and pilot aboard. According to media reports, no patients were aboard the aircraft as it headed from Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa just north of Ventura in Cerro Gordo County about 9 p.m. that night. The dedicated emergency medical team that was killed…

A horrific helicopter crash occurred during the Wednesday morning rush hour in central London when the aircraft slammed into a construction crane on top of a 50-story residential building (1/16/13). The pilot and one person on the ground reportedly were killed; 13 others were injured on the ground. It was reported to be misty weather and the pilot had asked to divert and land in nearby London Heliport. The helicopter reportedly was on a commercial…

Chicago Fire Department officials confirmed that they treated several passengers aboard American Eagle Flight 3720 that was heading to Chicago today from New Orleans. The flight experienced “severe turbulence” while in flight that led to one passenger requiring to be taken to a local Chicago hospital. A spokesman for the Fire Department said that they experienced head, neck and back injuries. At least three people were injured, according to reports. The flight reportedly left New…