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Richard K. Means, Attorney At Law, Web Site

Welcome to the 

Richard K. Means Law Firm

Web Site


Note Change of Address May 1, 2004

806 Fair Oaks Avenue 

Oak Park,  Illinois 60302-1547
Telephone: (708) 386-1122
Facsimile: (708) 383-2987
E-mail: rmeans@richardmeans.com

Send E-mail to Richard K. Means

The Private Law Practice

Election Law 
Public Interest Litigation

This separate private practice provides every client with the individual attention of a lawyer with over 33 years of experience who is well-known as an "expert" in his field. Again serving as the Chairman of the Election Law Committee of the Chicago Bar Association for 2003-2004, Richard K. Means is one of the authors of  the 2002 Handbook on Illinois Election Law published by the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education.

The services provided by the Means Law Offices are thorough, careful, without unnecessary "frills" and reasonably priced. Legal services are provided in an ongoing consultative process in which, at each stage of the representation, the lawyer and the client discuss the goals which can legally be achieved, the likelihood of success (and the down-side risks) of particular strategies and the cost of various strategies.  Then the lawyer and client agree on a course of action.

Some firms with business clients might justify charging their clients for the overhead of high-rent, over-staffed offices or of high-risk litigation strategies on the grounds that the clients could "write off" large legal fees as "business expenses" (thus letting Uncle Sam pay about a third of the cost). The clients of the Means Law Offices are typically individuals, not-for-profit entities or units of government, none of whom have their legal fees "subsidized" by the government as "business expenses."  The operations of the firm are therefore unpretentious and with low-overhead which allows wise expenditures of money and effort.  These resources are allocated to areas in which results will be produced most efficiently.

While Rich Means is a skilled litigator, his clients typically seek goals that are obtainable in the absence of litigation in order to avoid its cost and the risk of adverse publicity.  However, the ability to exercise one's rights often requires litigation to secure them. Sometimes bullies only allow the exercise of an individual's rights when the individual demonstrates both the capacity and the willingness to skillfully demand them.  For this very reason, the option to litigate is readily available.

The private law practice is principally election law and public interest litigation.  Specifically, the practice is the representation of candidates, political organizations, governmental entities, unions, and business organizations in election law matters and in public interest litigation. This practice includes service as a Hearing Officer on particularly complex and sensitive matters by the Illinois State Board of Elections, membership on local government electoral boards by appointment by the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County and also includes legislative development and lobbying.

For greater details, click on these links:

Resources For Lawyers

ˇ         Chicago City Ordinances

o        Click here to download your own copy (updated to November 2000 - zipped text file).

o        Click on this link for access to the completely up-to-date and searchable online version. 

ˇ         List of Restricted Donors For 2003 City of Chicago Campaigns

ˇ         List of Restricted Donors For 2002 Cook County Campaigns

 

Send E-mail to Richard K. Means

The Public Access Project

Opening Government In The Public Interest

Richard K. Means serves as the Chief Executive Officer - General Counsel of The Public Access Project.

The Public Access Project is a not-for-profit civic association created to enhance public empowerment in state and local government in Illinois by pressing governmental officials to obey both the letter and spirit of laws requiring open government. Citizen knowledge is truly citizen power, best maximized by expanding the effectiveness of the state's adequate, but inadequately enforced, laws. public-access works toward this goal by filing Freedom of Information Act requests on behalf of media and citizens and by utilizing computers and the Internet to collect, analyze, and broadly publish the public information held by governments and the public disclosures made by lobbyists, office holders and candidates. When patient and polite requests do not result in prompt and full disclosure, Public Access has both the resources and the readiness to litigate to enforce the laws.

Public Access is a demonstration project in the use of low-cost computer technology for the gathering, analysis and publication of government records in reports which are easily accessible, understandable and usable by both news media and the public. Public Access is also a demonstration project showing that citizen action can leverage media, public opinion and electoral action opening the processes of government and exposing the interests of those who govern. Ultimately, Public Access will leverage or embarrass governmental officials into facilitating broad accessibility, and even publication, of public information. When numerous sources of public information are analyzed and compared, errors, inconsistencies and omissions often are more informative about conflicts of interest, honesty and candor than are each source when considered separately. As a not-for-profit civic organization, Public Access does not judge or reach conclusions about the performance in office or the fitness for office of any incumbent or aspiring office holder, it only exposes relevant information for the electorate's judgment.

Newly Featured on the Public Access Web site is:

  • Illinois Supreme Court rules that taxpayer recovery actions to recoup illegal public spending is unconstitutional usurping the authority of the Attorney General and the State's Attorney.  Public Access proposes constitutional amendment to restore this valuable and reformist cause of action.
  • State legislative staff managing political campaigns while on State payroll.
  • State agencies pay staffers illegal bonuses, some timed as political "going away" and "welcome home" presents.
  • Complete and searchable Chicago City Ordinances.

For more information on Public Access,

go to its Web site: The Public Access Project

Links to Other Useful Or Interesting Web Sites

The listing of a site below does not imply that I am associated with that site's sponsor, that I agree with any views expressed therein, or that, in any way, I vouch for the accuracy of any information contained therein. Please remember: "Freedom of the Press belongs to the man who owns one." I am convinced that the truth is discovered through an unrestrained, diverse and vigorous interchange in the marketplace of ideas. The purpose of these links is to provide a starting place for the adventurous to view that interchange.

Index to Links

Political Resources and Organizations

Political Opinion

Not-For-Profit Organization Resources

Government Resources

News

Legal Resources

Jest For Fun

Internet Resources

Miscellaneous Resources

Political Resources and Organizations

Political Opinion

Not-For-Profit Organization Resources

Government Resources