Local Bar Association seeks an Assistant to the Executive Director

Local Bar Association seeks an Assistant to the Executive Director. Hours approximately 9-5 p.m., parking paid.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is skilled and interested in serving the members of this large local bar association. The tasks and responsibilities would include:

Reception: Answer two incoming telephone lines , Receive and transmit faxes, Receive and transmit e-mail, Receive and transmit scans, Receive and post mail, Greet public.

Scheduling: Maintain Calendar, Schedule Committee meetings, Send meeting notices and reminders

Administer Lawyer Referral Service: Handle daily phone calls from the public, Track information, Maintain current list of participants, Promote service with lawyer members and recruit new participants

Bookkeeping: Normal bookkeeping responsibilities of Receiving payments and Make deposits. Purchasing responsibilities: Order office supplies, Maintain postage account, Track Maintenance on equipment

Coordinate Special Events and Projects: Work with committees, Coordinate with venue, Prepare special documents, i.e., invitations, tickets, programs, Record registrations/reservations, receive payments

And other duties related to CLE, Publications of the association, including member services.

If interested, e-mail your resume to Professor Higgins at: thiggins@icc.edu

Sotomayor Confirmation Hearings are Under Way

The Sotomayor confirmation hearings are under way. So far it’s been a lot of hot air statements with a couple of interruptions from the gallery. I’ve been listening while working, using the streaming video provided by C-Span at http://www.c-span.org/Supreme-Court-Sotomayor-Senate-Confirmation-Hearings.aspx

To a great extent history has shown this process to be a lot of politics with little substance. With few exceptions, the nominee is confirmed. The hearings don’t uncover much in the way of new information about how the individual may apply or decide the law once on the bench. One could argue that this process is: a waste of time and resources; another step in the business as usual; tradition over progress and form over substance direction that seems to bog down our justice system; a system overloaded with too many cases and too few new or innovative approaches to the issues presented in the today’s court rooms by the very public the system is intended to serve. But, while the justice system overall could stand a good hard look, some strategic planning and implementation of new ideas and resources, the Senate confirmation process does serve a valuable and necessary role. As long winded and senseless as some of the speeches and interchange may seem, this process breathes life into the system of checks and balances that we cannot and should not lose sight of, minimize or take for granted in the name of progress, expediency, efficiency or any other reason.

If you get the chance, tune in to these hearings via C-Span or the various other outlets available on TV or the Web. Lawyers, Paralegals, Criminal Justice professionals and students of all Public Services programs would be well served to open the above site and listen as you work.

Update on Ryan Hiserote

For those students who have asked about our own Laura Hiserote and her son Ryan, you can see the recent status here http://caringbridge.org/visit/ryanhiserote They are currently back in Memphis. Read Laura’s posts and keep her, Ryan and the Hiserote family in your thoughts and prayers. Hopefully things go well and this is Ryan’s last trip to Memphis.

You read her posts and you know instantly why the many St. Jude runners hit the road in the heat of each summer. For me, with my Morton’s Neuroma flaring up a little worse than it did last year at this time it’s been awfully tempting to sleep in a bit instead of getting up and hitting the muggy road. An injection may be in my future before August 2nd but so far I have no trouble getting up early, lacing up my shoes and logging miles, motivated by Ryan and all of the other amazing St. Jude kids and families.

And if you haven’t done so, donate to the St. Jude Runs today.

Pop Higgins Scholarship to End

While it saddens me to have to make this decision the final analysis dictated that the only available option was to end the scholarship named after my grandfather, Clarence “Pop” Higgins. My family and I have taken great pride and joy in providing this scholarship and supporting the efforts of ICC students through our annual donations to the ICC Foundation. As ICC graduates, my wife and I saw this as an opportunity to give back.
Unfortunately, on July 3rd, I was made aware that budget decisions would dictate that the college would no longer support membership in local and state bar associations. It’s the way of the world at this point in history. Budget cuts are something we all seem to be living with in some form at work or home.

These memberships and participation in the Illinois State Bar Association and the Peoria County Bar Association had been supported since a directive from my first Dean and Department Chair that the memberships would be paid for and the expectation would be that I would use these memberships to allow me to staying current on the various substantive law and practice areas related to the variety of course I was assigned to teach. Over the years, through various stints on the Board and committees of the Peoria County Bar Association and committees of the Illinois State Bar Association, relationships were formed and opportunities leveraged for the benefit of our courses, programs, students and graduates. Specifically, we were able to see:

· The formation of the endowed Lela Post Scholarship for Paralegal students through the generous support of the PCBA;
· Multiple internship, employment and networking opportunities for our students and graduates;
· Increased Continuing Legal Education opportunities for our graduates;
· Opportunities through publication and CLE to improve and promote Paralegal careers in central Illinois;
· Opportunities for our Upward Bound/TRIO and Diversity initiatives through partnership with the PCBA Diversity Committee for which I was a founding member; and
· Receipt of daily news and law updates that allow me to present the most up to date status of the law and expectations of practice possible for students enrolled in my courses.

In the end, we were forced to make the sort of hard decision that Pop Higgins himself would not have taken pleasure in but he would have supported. We made the decision that would provide allow our family dollars to be used to assist the most people with the most opportunities. The best bang for our buck, so to speak. While the Pop Higgins scholarship has been very beneficial in assisting one or two students per academic year and we still intend to support and make donation to the foundation to help support scholarship opportunities for ICC students, membership in the ISBA and PCBA provide a more direct benefit for instruction, internships, employment and other opportunities for more of my students. Those associations provide opportunities that I can’t duplicate for my students in any other manner.

For those reasons we may have one, possibly two more Pop Higgins scholarship awards based on what I am told is the current fund balance. If the opportunity exists at some point to re-establish, we will do so. In the interim, the Higgins family will change directions a bit but our support will be squarely behind and for the benefit of the ICC students we sincerely hope join us as proud ICC graduates.

Have a Safe and Happy 4th of July!

Criminal Investigatory Search Warrants, Administrative Searches, Electronic Surveillance, Arrest, Stops and Frisks MP3 Downloads for CRJ 227

A review of the topics covered in exam 2 for the CRJ 227, Administration of Justice course, is provided in the following 3 part series of MP3 files available for student download and use.

I would suggest that students enrolled in this course or others interested in reviewing the basic points of law related to Criminal Investigatory Search Warrants, Administrative Searches, Electronic Surveillance, Arrest, Stops and Frisks download these files to an i-pod, mp3 player or computer and listen to each file. Students preparing for the CRJ 227 exam should listen to each file a couple of times while you review your notes, develop your outlines and otherwise spend time studying for this exam.

crj227exam2reviewpart1.mp3: http://www.divshare.com/download/7804228-283

crj227exam2reviewpart2.mp3: http://www.divshare.com/download/7804229-257

crj227exam2reviewpart3.mp3: http://www.divshare.com/download/7804230-ee6

The Top 10 Most Frequently Accessed Supreme Court Cases from Lexis

Ever wonder what whee some of the most important cases in the history of the American legal system ranked as far as being accessed? LexisNexis answers that question with it's release of the top 10 most frequently accessed U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Read the Top 10 and access free case law plus more top cases on lexisone.com

CRJ 230 - Court Procedures and Evidence, ONLINE for Fall 2009

Enroll in CRJ 230, Court Procedures and Evidence, Online for Fall semester 2009.

Facilitated by Professor Tom Higgins, this is a must have course for Paralegal, Criminal Justice and Crime Scene students and one that will pay dividends far into their chosen careers.

Students who have taken this course have said:

“This course is a MUST take course for every Paralegal program student. Great course!”
-Paralegal Student

“Professor Higgins’ helps Crime Scene students connect the law to all the things Professor DeFranco teaches us in the lab” -Crime Scene Student

“This course brings the ‘law’ of ‘law enforcement’ to life” -Criminal Justice Student

Seats are limited. Call or See your advisor or contact Professor Higgins to Enroll Today!