where in the country at any job in theneconomy for a twelve-month periodn(which is considered permanently) —nuntil the judges started “screwing menout of my fee.” A lawyer on a case thatnhad both Workers’ Compensation andnSocial Security Disability aspectsnwould be paid for only one, my neighborncomplained, on the reasoning thatnthe work done on both was identical tonthe work needed for just one — “notnthat I wanted to double dip.” (InnMissouri a lawyer gets 25 percent of anWorkers’ Compensation award; his feenis provided by statute.)nThe featured vocational expert appearednto be an honest man genuinelyndevoted by training and instinct tongetting people back to work. Everyonenknows that some disabilities precludenwork, and fairness requires that disabilitynincome be paid in those cases.nHowever, an innocent observer of thisnseminar would have concluded thatndeceit and subterfuge are more importantnthan disability in getting a personncompensation. The initial focus innhandling hearings before an administrativenlaw judge is not just to win thencase for the client, but to guarantee ansecond chance in the event of a loss.nOne lawyer-panelist suggested the employmentnof a device he said he hadnlearned in a CLE on criminal law:n”trick-the-judge questions.” These arenhypothetical suggested by attorneys tonthe judge that are probably impropernfor one reason or another. If the judgenasks them of the claimant and subsequentlyndecides against him, the lawyersnare fairly certain that an appellatencourt will remand the case to thenhearing judge and order a new hearing.nThe lawyer then has a chance to try anmore successful approach the secondntime. The lawyer-panelists, incidentally,nsaid that any administrative lawnjudge who decides a case without gettingnthe opinion of a vocational expertnis practically asking for a remand. “If Inget to court,” began the kindly gentlemannnext to me, “and see that thenjudge will not be questioning a vocationalnexpert, do I request that he donso?” Even lay readers can probablynguess the correct answer: “Of coursennot.” Hence, while proceeding withnthe trial under these circumstances isnprobably a waste of time and taxpayers’nmoney, it provides the best of circumstancesnfor the claimant’s lawyer: possi­n10/CHRONICLESnble immediate, outright victory, but atnleast a guaranteed second chance innthe event of a loss. Keep your mouthnshut.nThis is not the end of the moral graynarea. The vocational expert mentionedna judge who had watched a claimant sitnthrough a two-hour hearing. After thenparties had left the courtroom, thenjudge remarked to the VE: “I can’tnbelieve that guy. He claimed that hencouldn’t sit comfortably for more thann12 minutes, yet he sat through a twohournhearing and neither rose nornsquirmed once.” This anecdote illustratednlesson number two: prepare yournclient for trial. One lawyer-panelist saidnthat he and his client practice for thenhearing (which usually runs well underntwo hours) on three separate occasionsnfor two hours at a stretch. During thesenrehearsals, the client is instructed toninterrupt the hearing every 30 minutesnand ask the judge, “Excuse me, YournHonor. May I stand up for a fewnminutes?” After a proper interval, he isnto again interrupt the proceedings tonask to sit down. The seminar audiencenemitted knowing chortles, and the lawyerndid some backpedaling. The clients,nhe asserted, are “intimidated bynthe process” and will endure agonynrather than risk court censure by requestingnassistance or relief Therefore,ninsisting on such a script merely reinforcesnthe claimant’s natural inclinations.nAnd, if the hearing judge isn’tnpersuaded by the performance, thenclaimant’s requests are on the recordnand may tear at the appellate judge’snheartstrings later on.nEffective advocacy takes all forms.nAfter lunch, another lawyer-panelistnasked the VE to read the file on a clientnof his who was injured in an accidentnand was now seeking damagesnin a personal injury claim. Thenlawyer wanted to know what the man’snchances were for employment andnwhether he should call a VE to testifynto the man’s now limited usefulness innthe job market. The VE stated that thenman’s refusal to accept rehabilitativenservices would be frowned upon by anjury. The lawyer then suggested henmight put this VE on retainer so thatnthe defense couldn’t call him to thenstand to criticize his plaintiff’s attitude.nOne lawyer-panelist told of a womannwho was sent to a motel for trainingnas a maid. She was given clear instruc­nnntions on cleaning a room and was leftnby herself. Three hours later, her supervisornreturned to the room thentrainee was to have finished and foundnhis new employee watching televisionnin the dirty room. Lazy? Not on yournlife, said the lawyer. The woman sufferednfrom an attention span deficiencynand was entitled to Social SecuritynDisability income.n— Betsy ClarkenJOHN WILLIAM Comngton’s earlyndeath ended the career of a distinguishednand prolific literary figure. Hisnfirst book appeared in 1961; it wasnfollowed by three other books of poetry,nnumerous novels, and four of thenbest short story collections of our •ntimes. He had stories selected for thenBest American Short Stories in 1972,n1976, 1977, and the O. Henry AwardsnCollection for 1976. Besides being anscreenwriter with his wife, Joyce {ThenOmega Man, Boxcar Bertha, The KillernBees), he was for a period a practicingnattorney. Much of his fiction reflectsnhis concern for law and justice,nand the sometime difference in thentwo. He particularly admired the politicalnphilosopher Eric Voegelin, whosenwork he studied for many years, andnabout whom he wrote several essays.nAt the time of his death he was editingnVoegelin’s lectures on law for publicationnin the Collected Works of EricnVoegelin. One critic has pointed outnthe “nugget of faith” at the center ofnCorrington’s mentality and work,n”without which both the intellect andnemotions become the instrument ofncaprice.” R.I.P.nLIBERAL ARTSn— William MillsnNEWSPEAK DICTIONARYnIronically: as a direct result of governmentnaction.n”New Orleans acquired a belt of chicletnsuburbs where alligators fled the newnwhite middle class that fled the innerncity, divided, ironically, by integration.”n— Novelist Robert Stone in thenNovember 1988 Harper’s.n