What information about you is on the Internet? Do you know what’s out there? Is everything about you that’s available to anyone with a computer and an Internet connection accurate? Is it consistent with how you want to present yourself?

Maybe you posted something indiscreet when you were young and foolish – or maybe even when you were older and wiser you had a momentary lapse in cyber-judgment. Or maybe you’ve been perfectly professional and discreet in your online behavior, but someone else has posted something about you that you’re not happy about.

Can you ever erase your traces on the Internet? Would you be prepared to advise a client who asked you that question?

If you can find it, others can, too

The short answer, says Detective Mike Bazzell of the Alton Police Department, is that you usually can’t delete information that’s already on the Internet. (For more from Bazzell, see this month’s cover story.) But, he says, making the effort doesn’t hurt and in some cases may help. And even if you can’t delete information, awareness of its existence can help you to manage the information and others’ reactions to it.

Bazzell says, “I advise professionals to constantly check their own names to see what’s out there about them. If there’s something out there that you don’t like, you should take steps to try to remove it.”

Bazzell, who presents on this very topic, recommends using the same techniques for finding what’s out there about you as he suggests for finding out information about others. “Anything that you can find out about yourself, someone else can find out if they’re looking for it.”

Most personal information that’s on the Internet, Bazzell says, is there “because the person put it out there and didn’t realize that the whole world could see it.” Did you post some photos of yourself at a party with your buddies when you were still in school?

Delete them, by all means, Bazzell says, but know that licensing agreements for the various social networking sites frequently provide that the social network companies own all of the postings, and companies are not obliged to remove information that they have lawfully obtained. “Once it’s grabbed by an archiving site such as Google Cache or Wayback, it’s generally out there forever, and you’re at their mercy.”

Furthermore, he says, a business intelligence company such as Intelius.com can probably obtain those photos from the social network. Recognize, then, Bazzell says, that even if you delete a post from your profile, you can’t change whether anyone’s viewed it before you’ve done so, nor is it likely that you’ll ever get it removed from search engine archives.

Bazzell provides some suggestions for minimizing the information’s exposure. First, he says, “find all the information that there is out there. Run your name in every possible search engine and document what you find.”

Then, he says, go through the results one at a time. If you’ve found some information that’s inaccurate or that you’d prefer not to be available, either remove it yourself or ask the site owner to do so.

Who’s looking for you?

Going forward, if you use social media such as Facebook or MySpace, check your privacy settings, and change them, if necessary, to be sure that you know who can see your postings and that you’re comfortable with your settings. And whatever your privacy settings, “Before you post anything on the Internet, take a moment to think whether it should be posted forever for anyone to see. If you can’t answer yes to that, you shouldn’t post it,” Bazzell says.

Even if you can’t erase information about yourself or bar access to it, can you at least find out who’s looking for or at your information? Tools to find this information out do exist, Bazzell says.

Sites such as Zabasearch offer users the option of registering to be notified of who has done searches for their names. So, Bazzell says, if you’re looking for a person, or idly wondering what someone from your past is now up to, understand that you’re leaving your own traces that your subject may see.

For more information, see Bazzell’s Web site at http://computercrimeinfo.com/index.html.

The program qualifies for 1.0 hour MCLE credit.

This program was originally hosted at the ISBA 5^th Annual Solo & Small Firm Conference in Springfield on October 22^nd. Attorneys cannot claim credit for attending/completing the same course twice within a 12-month period.

Click here for more information and to register.

• Mother of slain LeRoy boys files $10M lawsuit against city, police, Bloomington Pantagraph

Chicago area

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Southern Illinois

• Fourth woman sues, claiming Saline Township supervisor groped her, Belleville News-Democrat

Nation

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This post is updated with breaking news throughout the day.

This historic painting was used as the rendering for the century-old murals on the walls and ceilings of the Supreme Court courtroom. Photo credit/Mark Skube

The Illinois Supreme Court convened in special session on Tuesday to unveil an historic painting which was used as the rendering for the century-old murals on the walls and ceilings of the Supreme Court courtroom.

Chief Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald presided at the ceremony.

The artwork, which had fallen into disrepair over the past 100 years, was donated by the family of the artist, Albert Krehbiel. Through the auspices of the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission, the family also paid for all costs of restoration, framing and display.

Justices Rita B. Garman and Anne M. Burke, Supreme Court liaisons to the Commission, spoke at the unveiling. Jerold Solovy, a well-known Chicago attorney and chairman of the Commission, also made comments.

The art will be displayed for the public beginning today, March 10, in the former Illinois Appellate courtroom in the Supreme Court Building at 2^nd Street and Capitol Avenue.

In 1907, Krehbiel, a young man who was raised in  Kansas and studied in France, was at the beginning of  his career as a teacher with the Chicago Art Institute when he was unanimously chosen as the artist for the murals project. The State of Illinois chose his rendering, depicting three women representing Precedent, Justice and Record, from among submissions of 22 artists.

The piece was used to replicate the mural that now gracefully adorns the rear wall of the Supreme Court courtroom, facing the Justices as they sit in session on the bench. It is the centerpiece of the 11 mural paintings in the Supreme Court, and two others in the Illinois Appellate courtroom, created by Krehbiel between 1907 and 1911.  The original painting, used to secure the commission, was placed in storage but was not immune to damage from time, water and the boyhood antics of Krehbiel’s grandsons who played nearby and probably caused some of the holes which needed repair.

Agass Baumgartner of Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration in Chicago did the restorative work.

Krehbiel was born in Iowa, moved to Kansas when he was six and early showed an interest in art. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago and, while there, won a traveling scholarship that enabled him to study in Paris at the Academie Julian, one of the worlds’s leading art schools. While there, he won four gold medals for his paintings and received the coveted Prix de Rome.

In 1906, he returned to Chicago, married Dulah Evans, also an artist, and began to teach at the Art Institute. When he won the contract to paint the murals, he bought a barn to use as a studio and moved it to his home in Park Ridge.

After completing the 13 murals in the Illinois Supreme Court building, he spent much of his career painting landscapes in the Chicago area, Michigan, New Mexico and California. He died in the summer of 1945 on the day of his retirement from the Art Institute.

Anthony Rubano of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency said that Krehbiel was one of America’s foremost Impressionist painters. He said the competition piece exhibits a general color shift toward gold which imbued the work with a richness that suits its weighty symbolism.

According to Rubano, the mural represents jurisprudence itself, and is a reminder of how law should proceed. He writes:

“The archetypal figures are characteristic of Classicism, wherein symbolic themes take priority over depictions of emotion. Three seated women represent three crucial elements of law – Justice, Precedent and Record. Central in the symmetrical composition is Justice, wearing a crown, a gold toga and a blue robe. Blue is a color often associated with clarity and truth. Although Justice is frequently depicted blindfolded, here Krehbiel chose to have her confront the viewer directly with her gaze, emphasizing the symmetry of the composition and the importance of her stature. Krehbiel replaced Justice’s more typical scales with a perfectly balanced pair of lit torches, which are traditional symbols of enlightenment. To her left is Record, quill pen in hand, as she transcribes the proceedings into the Book of Law in her lap. To her right is Precedent, raising a finger as if to speak while cradling the Lamp of Knowledge with her right hand.”

Jerold Solovy, commission chairman, expressed thanks to the Krehbiel family for their thoughtful gift.

“By recognizing the importance of their grandfather’s 100-year-old painting and then making a decision to give the painting to the Court, the Krehbiel family has provided a gift that is important not only as a piece of art but also as a symbol of the Court’s long history and of the Commission’s mission to assist the Court to preserve the rich judicial history of Illinois,” said Solovy. “The family’s generous gifts to pay for the repairs, framing and display help assure that the painting will be seen by Illinois citizens 100 years from now.”

Antonio Romanucci, a partner in Romanucci & Blandin, LLC, whose law firm concentrates in representing victims with traumatic brain injuries, is the driving force behind the fundraising effort.  Romanucci helped found the Clubhouse with Giesler and served as its board president for seven years.

“The Midwest Brain Injury Clubhouse is the only facility in the Midwest that provides post acute care to traumatically-injured patients,” he states. “Because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Clubhouse has encountered a surge in requests. To accommodate those requests, we must raise additional funds with the hope that those who proudly served our country can acclimate more quickly back into society.”

For further information about the event, contact the Clubhouse at (312) 226-8720, or log onto their Web site at www.braininjuryclubhouse.org.

After being treated at Hines V.A. Hospital in Chicago for a traumatic brain injury he suffered in Iraq, Ryan Krantz joined the Midwest Brain Injury Clubhouse as an intern, doing a variety of office tasks, socializing with other members and in short, rebuilding his life and a loss of self-esteem.

“I thought I would never be able to go back into the community,” said Krantz, who works at the Clubhouse three days a week.  “I thought I would be damaged for good, but the Clubhouse showed me I can heal from my injury with this great veteran internship program.”

Now, what began as a simple internship for four young veterans with brain injuries has transformed into a critical role – the actual survival of the Clubhouse, whose purpose is to provide members with real-life opportunities to learn new skills and be productive. “Like many not-for-profits, funding from the State of Illinois has been sparse and inconsistent,” according to Deborah Giesler, a Clubhouse founder and its executive director. “As a result, a 50 percent reduction in staff had to be made to keep the doors open.”

But the veterans have been a godsend, she continues.  True to their role to fight for what they believe is right, it’s natural the veterans would step up to the challenge, and they are now involved in all aspects of the organization, she says. “Our member-veterans are actually working harder to overcome their many challenges because they want to save the Clubhouse. They are standing taller, speaking more clearly and taking leadership roles with ease. We are very proud of them and amazed at how this need is aiding their recovery.”

This novel initiative was presented favorably at a nationally held U.S. Department of Labor town hall meeting in response to suggestions on how to better provide job opportunities to persons with disabilities, Giesler says.

By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

Q. I am a partner in a 14 attorney firm. Our bookkeeper has been with us for 20 years. We have a time and billing system, a separate bookkeeping system, and a separate database for clients, and something else for trust accounting. The other partners and myself do not know the name of the software that we are using, don’t know how to access the software, and we have to ask the bookkeeper for any financial information that we require. We feel like “hostages”. She gets offended when we ask questions. When we do receive information we don’t know how to read or interpret much of the information. How can we get control of our firm back?

A. It is imperative that owners and partners in a law firm have access to financial information on a timely basis, understand the information, and use the information in a proactive way to manage the practice. We suggest:

• The owner, or an appointed partner(s) in larger firms, obtain a basic level of understanding in basic accounting/bookkeeping and law firm financial management.
• The owner, or an appointed partner(s) in larger firms, obtain detailed training on the accounting software system(s) along-side the bookkeeper when the system is implemented. In addition to general operation of the software, special training should also be obtained on interpretation and use of the management reports.
• In your current situation – this may be a good time to consider upgrading your system and at that time obtain training on the new system, review the roles of all parties, and current procedures.
• Insure that you have accounting controls in place and appropriate segregation of accounting duties.
• Outline your expectations and requirements of the bookkeeper, meet with her/him, and communicate appropriately.

John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC,  is a past chair and member of the ISBA Standing Committee on Law Office Management and Economics. For more information on law office management please direct questions to the ISBA General ListServ, which John and other committee members review, or view archived copies of The Bottom Line Newsletters. Contact John at jolmstead@olmsteadassoc.com.

The Illinois Bar Foundation has grown substantially since Susan began with the Foundation in 2001. With a new Strategic Plan adopted in 2009, the Foundation has its sights on significant growth in the immediate future.

Susan can be contacted at smlewers@gmail.com.

Kaplan graduated from The John Marshall Law School in 1981 after teaching high school and college French.

Burial will be private.

Click here to read the obituary in the Chicago Tribune.

Read more.