UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
                       FOR THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT
                      219 South Dearborn Street
                      Chicago, Illinois  60604

                            March 3, 1997

Hon. J. Owen Forrester, Chairman
Automation & Technology Committee
Judicial Conference of the United States
75 Spring Street, S.W.
Room 2367
Atlanta, GA 30303-3361

Dear Judge Forrester:

     I am enclosing herewith, with my enthusiastic endorsement, Judge 
Stephen Williams's response to the ABA resolution on universal 
citation. I agree with Judge Williams 100 percent that the numbering 
of paragraphs in judicial opinions would be a mistake. It would 
disfigure and bureaucratize the opinion-writing process, and, as he 
explains, is quite unnecessary. I hope that you will give the most 
serious consideration to his suggestion.

     I also wish to raise with you the question of the NECESSITY of a 
universal citation form, as anyone with the West citation can readily 
locate the opinion on-line if he prefers that to the book version.

                                   Sincerely,

                                   Richard A. Posner
                                   Chief Judge

Enclosure

CC: Appellate Court and Circuit
    Administration Division