5-15-12; Chicago is locking down for the coming NATO summit and we are closing the office, sort of.

Law firms never actually close any more in the age of virtual offices. Every one of our fifteen lawyers and all staff can remote in and we do so on a regular basis. Due to concerns about the coming NATO summit, we will have folks attend the status calls at the IWCC but we aren’t going to have any humans in the downtown Chicago office this Friday or next Monday. Please feel free to call or email—the phones move the office calls to our cell phones automatically.

We are fairly certain the IL WC Commission will be the equivalent of a ghost-town and we encourage Chairman Weisz to let folks leave early and often during the coming crisis.

Metra, the Chicago-area rail line has just announced special security precautions that will be in effect during next weekend's NATO summit. And though most services will operate, there will be sharp and sometimes inconvenient restrictions.

One rail line will be shut entirely -- that is the Metra Electric District branch on Monday, May 21, 2012. There will extensive station closures.

On Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20, trains will not stop at 47th Street, 27th Street, McCormick Place, 18th Street and 11th Street. All those also will be closed until noon on Monday, as will 111th Street, 107th Street, 103rd Street, 95th Street, 91st Street, 87th Street, 83rd Street, 79th Street, 75th Street and 73rd Street.

Passengers on all lines may be subject to search and/or screening before boarding or while en route, Metra said in a briefing that is still going on.

Riders will be able to carry only one bag, not exceeding 15 inches square and 4 inches deep. Boxes, parcels, luggage, backpacks and bicycles will not be allowed on any train, and cannot be stored at Metra stations. If you don’t have somewhere to put it, you are going to have to discard it.

Passengers will not be allowed to carry any food or liquids on the trains during the three days, including coffee.

Law enforcement personnel must identify themselves and present credentials, and security guards will not be allowed to carry any weapons on board.

Our readers are recommended to go to www.metra.com for details and updates.

If anyone cannot reach a KC&A lawyer for any reason, please call Gene Keefe, John Campbell or Shawn Biery at the numbers at the bottom of this email.