The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-09-26

JObN n. WADDEI4. ID. d., CHANCELLOR
THOMAS WALTON, IL. B., PRoFEssoR
rs June, 1872, the Trustees al spensed with the
Il necessity OF two years attendance, in this
Law School and permitted the graduation Of q
student who attends ono year provided ia
I should pass "a satisfactory examination. Tie
I degree, or diploma, thus obtained - made. by
I statute, license o. practice law in any court
4 IN Mississippi. The student may entcr the
/ class at any time, though he is advised Oh ie
here nj the beginning cf the session, about
! the first of October.
! Board and lodging, fuel lights. washing
and servants attendance, can be had in Ok
/ ford at prices varying from sixteen to twenty
/ five dollars a mOnth-the cheapest being about
as good as the costliest The tuition fee i fifty
/ dollars in the Law School; i'm all other depart
ments of the University, tuition is free. There
were two hundred and sixty students in the
University last session The Law School,
though re-organiLed only last ms the Univer-
sity opened, had success surprising to its
most sanguine friends, and il is already
known that next year il will have "A still bet
ter attendance.
The following are the subjects Of study pur-
sued in this School, and under each head
Is set down list Of those authors read from
time to time on that particular topic,
/. The Law of Real Estate.
Blackstone, Kent, Washburne, and Blackwell
on Tax Titles.
2. The Law of Personal Property, in
Guiding Contracts and Commercial Law.
Kent, Story, Smith, Byles, Redfeld, and Par
sons, and Benjamin on Sales and Williams
on Personal Property.
3. The Rights of Persons.
Blackstone. Kent shoulders Domestic Rcla-
tions, and Angel x Ames gu Corporations
4. The Law of Torts
Addison on Tort-.
'riY,ipol / o,,- a,,l Dr,,n.l,,ra
Blackstone and Bishop.
6. The Law of Practice, including
Pleading and Evidence.
Stephen on Pleading. Chitty on Pleading
Greenleaf on Evidence, Stnrkics Evidence
3 Blackstone Conkliug.s United States
Courts and Bump on Bankruptcy.
Moot Courts, also, have always been in use
in this School.
Z. Equity Jurisprudence, Pleading and
Practice.
Adams, Story and Daniel
8. Constitutional Law
Cooley, Kent and Story.
8. International Law, including Pri-
vate International Law or the Conflict of
Laws.
Wharton's Conflict of Laws, Story, Kent and
Wheaton.
Textbooks are the chief means Of instruc-
ton in this School and lectures are not read to
the class for law is too abstruse learning to
be taught after that fashion; but il has been
the practice to furnish the STUDENT written
lectures on Mississippi practice, for him 10
read and copy.
One of the chief advantages of IA law school
and especially Of one not 0ver-crOwdcd with
students-is that by rigorous course of ex-
animation repeated with every student every
day on his day reading, thorough accuracy
is guaranteed in his mastery of the subject.
In this school, every student is thus examined
every day, about three hours day being de-
voted TO this exercise, and explanations being
given on those points which this rigorous ex-
animation may show that the student does not
sufficiently understand.
practice has also been adopted here of re-
quiring the students, frequently, TO write down
in the recitation room n synopsis of their latest
reading, in order to compel them TO that accu-
racy which is essential TO lawyer; aud each
student is in turn required to stand up before
the class, and, in a manner ms decent and quiet
"a possible, to deliver an oral statement OF the
contents of the chapter and sometimes syuop-
sis of the book under perusal. This is done to
train the young men To the art Of forensic ora
tory; for they are not allowed to deliver "a
memorized statement, and their exercise
nj the bar, and is perhaps the only practi-
chi mode oftcaching the art ofpublic speaking.
Obviously, the fewer the students, the more
training Of this kind each one can obtain.
No young man who has attempted without as
sociafes in study, to master the voluminous
learning OF the law, need be told Of the dismal
and often overpowering dreariness Of such an
undertaking. Blackstone after quoting n
very great lawyer Sir Henry Spelmans con-
fession that such n trial had made his soul sink
within him. condemns the effort TO learn law
by "sequestering ones self from the world
and by tedious, lonely process, extract
ing the theory Of the law from n mass Of
undgestcd learning lie equally condemns
the effort to learn IT "by an assiduous attcn-
L. IL. Il
practice together law school gives the
student immense relief from this painful
irksOmeness attending his first year twO.s
plodding in the endless volumes Of the law.
Such relief is derived from the cmulutiOn
and compAnionship Of studying in classes
and from the daily examinations. The stu
dents constantly discussing their studies
not only with the professor but with each 9TH
err, and their interest is thus prevented from
tagging and their daily work from becoming
repulsive.
Besides, however, the Advantages Of pre-
cision in his learning, and Of a much livclicr
and therefore, much more vigorous prosccu-
tion of his studies, to be derived by law stu
dent from the daily discussions Of a law school,
there is another question, namely, whether n
law office or n law school be the better place
for learning law in scientific method, such
as every man must pursue to obtain success
and on this question, the attention Of students
and Of the profession is invited 10 the opin-
ion of Sir william Blackstone
Making due allowance" says he, "for one
or two shining exceptions, experience may
teach ms to foretell, that lawyer, educated TO
the bar in subseryieuce to attorneys and so
licitOrs, will find he has begun at the. wrong
end. If practice be the whole he is taught,
practice must also be the whole he will ever
know. He must never aspire 10 form, and sell
dom expect TO comprehend, any arguments
drawn, priOrt, from the spirit Of the laws
and the natural foundations Of Justice
On the other hand, speaking Of the law
school he says:
IF the student will afford himself here "A
year or lwo's further leisure 10 lay the foun-
dation Of his future labOrs in solid and sci
entifc method without thirsting too early 10
attend that practice which il is impos sible he
should rightly comprehend he will afterward
proceed with the greatest ease, and will unfold
the most intricate points with an intuitivc ra-
pidity and clearness."
l Blackstone Commentaries Introduction
PIP. 3l-34. july23w6m
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AR n. GRESt I'D * CO..