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February 1, 2013 History did not repeat itself when Socrates was “re-tried” before nearly 1,000 people in Chicago Thursday (Jan. 31, 2013). Robert Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, was part of the all-star legal team that took part in the mock trial that was sponsored by the National Hellenic Museum. Clifford along with former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb defended Socrates who originally went on trial in Athens 2,400 years ago and was convicted…

As many new mothers have found, getting new bedding products for your infant may seem like a special day – changing pads, mattress pads, car seats and other products you buy at your local toy or department store may seem new, but some also have that “funny” smell. Initially, you may attribute it to being wrapped in plastic because the smell dissipates over time. Now comes word that some of these common products sold in…

A new survey reveals an alarming rate of new mothers texting, checking emails or talking on the phone while their babies are in the car, according to a story published in USA Today (Wed., 1/23/2013). The survey conducted by Safe Kids Worldwide and American Baby magazine, two child protection advocacy groups, found that 78 percent of moms with children under the age of two acknowledged talking on the phone while driving with their babies. As…

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…