I enjoyed reading Eldon Ham’s opinion column on baseball’s greatest home runs (“Among baseball’s greatest home runs, include one by the Cubs’ Dave Kingman” — Oct. 7”).
Because of my age, and opportunity, I was fortunate to have seen the three “super-bombs” Ham listed as the farthest home runs hit at Wrigley Field: those by Glenallen Hill, Kris Bryant, and the Dave Kingman blast that hit the third house across Waveland Avenue.
However, Ham failed to mention the home run hit by Roberto Clemente on May 17, 1959, which I also saw on good old WGN. Clemente’s blast went to the left of the scoreboard and came to rest at a gas station (no longer there) at the northeast corner of Waveland and Sheffield.
It is said to have hit a curb on Waveland before landing there, estimated at 536 feet from home plate, 6 feet farther than the Kingman blast. It is impossible to know with absolute certainty the total distance each ball reached, but clearly, Clemente’s smash should have been mentioned.
Dennis Gorecki, Orland Park
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Illinois should adopt new law exam
I am excited about two developments in the legal profession that should help lawyers truly play the role of counselor and support clients.
The first is the NextGen Bar Exam, which will test vital skills such as client counseling, negotiation and dispute resolution for the first time, resulting in law schools putting more effort into training law students in these areas. The exam promises to test students in a new way beyond memorizing law and asks them to apply skills to client problems.
Many law schools, including where I teach, already have robust programs and graduate many skilled counselors, negotiators, mediators and mediation advocates, but now that these topics will be included, we will reach a larger segment of the profession.
The vital importance of client counseling, negotiation and dispute resolution skills is in the unwavering focus on the client and their needs, interests, emotions and true concerns. Lawyers with these skills are frequently able to resolve disputes quickly, creatively and without damaging important relationships.
Abraham Lincoln famously implored lawyers, “Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can.” Lawyers trained in these skills will be able to implement this advice.
Second, this emphasis on connecting with clients and addressing their true concerns comes at an opportune time. With the advent of AI, lawyers will have time freed up to distinguish themselves through their humanity. As AI takes over certain tasks, it will be the lawyer’s ability to empathize that will truly set them apart.
All of this is consistent with the Jesuit concept of “cura personalis” — care for the whole person. In the legal profession, we are not just dealing with legal issues, we also are handling people’s lives, livelihoods and well-being.
Several states will be adopting the NextGen bar exam in 2026. I encourage Illinois to continue to explore adopting the exam.
Teresa Frisbie, distinguished professor in residence and director, Dispute Resolution Program, Loyola University of Chicago School of Law