For example, in the course of defending a lawsuit, an issue might arise during discovery, with the other party refusing to turn over important documents.
He then held several meetings with Mayor John D. Spencer, who had forced out the last superintendent, and lawyers from the N.A.A.C.P. to talk about settling the district's long-standing desegregation lawsuit -- an issue that proved to be the undoing of former Superintendent Andre J. Hornsby, who refused to settle.
Yesterday's move by the Pataki campaign was another sign that after months of seeking to stay above the fray, it has gone on the offensive against Mr. McCall and is trying to neutralize the lawsuit as an issue for the Democrats.
"If the lawsuit was an issue, we would have retained him.
Lawsuits aren't an issue in Gaskin's world.
The lawsuit touches on an issue that has frequently bedeviled colleges: what to do with gifts or endowments that come with a specific purpose or strings attached, when decades have passed and circumstances may have changed.
Matt McGrath, a spokesman for the Illinois Democratic Party, told The Associated Press in August that the GOP attempt to make the lawsuit a campaign issue again -- even though it failed to derail Duckworth's congressional bid in 2012 -- smelled of "desperation".
Depending on what it finds, the state could bring a lawsuit, issue an enforcement action or create new regulations.
While lawsuits are less of an issue in England, politicians may soon start seriously investigating art-market affairs.
Cyrus Mehri, the lawyer who originally represented the four and continues to represent four other current and former Coke employees in the lawsuit, said the arrangement "is an issue between Mr. Gary and the four individuals he represents".
