Hyperbole is an art form in the US, so it should come as no surprise that a legal publication doing the rounds at the American Bar Association annual conference in Chicago was titled Illinois Super Lawyers. Now this may conjure images of muscular advocates bulging from their tight-fitting lycra suits itching to smash injustice in superhero style wherever they find it. Sadly, the fact is that the glossy mag is choc-a-bloc with the usual photos of middle-aged men in suits. In fact, a quick scan of its pages finds only a scattering of shots of super women lawyers, but then the girls tend not to need the ego boost their male counterparts do. As to how your average Illinois lawyer graduates to 'super lawyer' status is not entirely clear from the 'How super lawyers are selected' page of the publication, although it is a safe bet kryptonite must be involved at some stage.