The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-02-22
A CIRCULAR TO STUDENTS OF Law
IN THE UNITED STATES.


TN tho year 1924 undos the auspices OF the on,vet
i si.y of Maryland. established IN tbs CITY OF h.i-
tinors Law School, under the Denomination OF inc
Maryland Law Institute. This estsblishnent conli-
nued in successful operation nearly se.e" Years hAv
ing received studenls from sLsren Of the o's'es s"o
from two foreign countries. Owing 10 the pressure
OF an extensive practice, simultaneously wan 'ne du
ties which the Institution Involved, resolved IN Tue
year 1886 To abandon lly the practice oil my ever
and long cherished profession but also the Law ios-
tute and for health and ease, sought the more GENIAL
climates OF Europe Finding, al this time, my heaiih
perfectly restored, and with II abatement whatever
OF my zeal and devotion that great ncieDce which,
ia this county OF all others, needs 10 be mefhodcsy
aud carefully Sutherland seeking, moreover, indus
t.ous and continued occupation, essential u hsPPi-
land that knows oilers resol cd to fe-esta-
blish the Law lnsttuiion-and have selected i'hIa-
dslphia lhe place of It's location In doiag have
thong that city in the u non affords such various
and ample Inducements for all the purposes Of the
Law Sutherland that In none can more worthy
economy be preserved, and yet with every requisite
comfort.
The frequent app calons made to me from dis
lance on the former ason in regard 10 the pdfle
uiars of my enterprise, induce me 10 anticipate similar
inquiries now--aDd 10 meet all such in advance,
now address this Circular all that ! can offer IN
explanation, and probably, as all that may be requl-
site.
The Institution, dedicated alone to law studies,
and their coenate and auxiliary topics, Is spacious
and beautiful building, NJ. 1T South Fifth street,
suitable for the accommodation Of about sixty
dents. The rooms all suitably urn shed, supplied
with an extensive law and miscellaneous library
c prseedens Of practice in every conceivable and APP
proved firm. Studens admitted at any time
throughout the year-courses OF study, and the re-
quise books are supplied, exactly to meet the
wants and views Of The student, according he may
design to practice his profession eIhef IN the country
or in some of the maritime cities. The laws of every
State in the Union in some degree dwet upon
practice is constantly be lded with heCrybut the
deep and radical error OF parents well Of students
is carefully AVOIDED allude to the erroneous
ton that law students to be made mechanical
artsansmere attorneys learning practice by roe, and
jealous of ook-kno,cfedge being too theoretical
This mIschevous rror must inevitably degrade the
science and profession, and is gross mistake, since
no practising attorney was ever good and lasting one
who was not also deeply veTsed in the redsons and
theory of the law. | therefore cannot acquesce n
and never will yield 10, the vulgar error Of putting
practice before and above theory-it is an unnatural
inrersion Of the established oider Of naturean ipno
rant and sloveny way of urging young on 10 al
temp,s far beyond the powers OF the human n ind
for, If The grounds and reasons of the science be not
well known, the practice cInnot be well known.
But the error, to which | 50 earnestly allude is
fou ded upo. another which is equally false and mar
row, vizthat students learn The practice only in
practising lawyers office On The conr.ry as gen
eral rule, II is he very last place which he ever
-
extremely manifest w hat is practice distinguish
gu from me"y lake single exainple-and tI uno
aisee o""es' ne Ieo'y OF Ia" p,,nt says TO the
STUDENT II "a lends us watch, and sells It, or re-
fuses 10 return H. may png "hat Is called an ac-
uon OF iroVer ana CONVERSION. NO" Torer means
finding, and conversion appropriating it to his
own use ana mere, again, the student learns two
other me"eHeM law Po'n's-Vz' mat The .jr'd ng Is
no" mere verbal hction mol at all material or 10 be
prorsd-and secondly, that the conversion by the de-
IL IL nsIs n he mn w hold
ing the properly from the plaintiff, although should
be ever so clearly proved that he IN no way used the
property Tor himself or Tor any purpose whatever, but
TO wHhhod IL IRON the pialnuh.
Now all this theory must be learn, and good
deal before the practice comes-and that pract,e
on the plaintiffs part con, lists of thorough know LEDGE
of he forms preetdens-and on the defendants part
of the like knowledge ms to the jormlc of the plea.
reoinders &c. There are therefore books of prsce-
dents these books unfold every practical proceedng
whatever, in every action known to the law-pro
gressively from the importation of the ,rrltIhe final
return upon The ereciaion These forinulg of wrii.
returns TO wr,s-appearanc observation-disclosures
mpannelIing of juries -Iria-ex-
| cep,ons-verdict- judgment-ex, culion-return of
executlon-or, on the other hand new trial-or APP
peal &c, &c.-are all set forth in the fpreced MS SO
that he who knows most of precedents, knows most
of practice but STILL these precedents cannot them
selves be ndersiood, without previous theoretical
know ledge The question then resolves itself INTO this
Cannot a law student be well ground, d i'm all the
precedents, iato sensu who never saw pr sctsng
lawyers oficel And why not On the contrary
cannot he learn far more OF practice by the ud.-
cous and careful study of all the formula (which ne
| never does in practising lawyers ofice) than by
writing OF rather copying thoe simple and OCCASION
al dec arat ons, pleas Sc which The master Of Office
assigns to the sludent1 l. not uniformly the
tina, all really difficult and responsible business OF this
sor' Is done ny ,he master himself without ever reach
ing me eyeo OF 'he s'uaeh,-or u does, only TO me-
chanicaiy copy ~ h2ain' no can distinguish be
tween rea' sun IN court ana FICTITIOUS one IN which
one student P,ePais 'nc "ih-aho'het the return
another me uee'ala,'on- some o'her 'he pea, &c
un'i al inc poenea' proceedings are gone through
Ana Hn" prevents 'n'se s'uoeh's making record OF
ihe who'e, anu "e" 'o,"Pe'ns All WIN ac'rlhed re-
cofo noH So"o wv, VI J"s'.oe !" IKE acuoh AL