The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-08-29

THE LAW SCHOOL.
faculty.
Faculty:
JOHN N. WADDEL. ID. D., CHANCELLOR.
THOMAS WALTON, Ii. b.. PROFESSOR.
OXFORD,
JULY IStIa. SHs3.

Faculty.:
4 JOHN N. WADDEL, ID. D., CHANCELLOR
! THOMAS WALTON, IL. b.. PROFESSOR
/ / n June, 1872, the Trustees dispensed with tht
/ necessity of two years attendance, in thit
Law School and permitted the graduation Of
4 student who attends one year provided d,
! should pass a satisfactory examination. Thu
/ degree, or diploma thus obtained, is made, by
statute. license TO practice law in any cOur
/ in Mississippi. The student may enter tn,
class At any time, though he is advised 10 BE-
here at the beginning Ct 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
/ hye dollars "a mOnth-the cheapest being about
as good the cosgliest. The tuition fee is fifty
| dollars ia the Law School; in 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-Organized only just the Uniyer-
sity opened, bad success surprising to its
| most sanguine friends. and IL is already
known that next year Il will have still bet
ter attendance
The following arc 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.
1. The Law of Real Estate.
Blackstone, Kent, washburne, and Blackwell
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 on Corporations.
4. The Law of Torts.
Addison on Torts
5. Criminal Law and Procedure.
Blackstone and Bishop.
6. The Law of Practice, including
Pleading and Evidence.
Stephen on Pleading, Gritty on Pleading.
Greenleaf on Evidence, Starkies Evidence,
3 Blackstone COnkling'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
s. Constitutional Law.
Cooley, Kent and Story.
g. 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 10
the class, for law is too abstruse u learning to
be taught after that fashion; but il has been
the practice TO furnish the student written
lectures on Mississippi practice, for him to
read and copy.
One of the chief advantages Of law school
i ..,lf. HI. a
students-is that by rigorous course Of ex-
animation repeated with every student every
day on his days 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.
A practice has also been adopted here Of re-
quiring the students, frequently, to write down
in the recitation room synopsis of their latest
reading in order to compel them to that accu-
racy which is essential 10 lawyer; and each
student is in turn required 10 stand up before
the class, and in manner as decent and quiet
as possible 20 deliver an oral statement Of the
contents of the cha pier and sometimes synop-
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 u
memorized statement, and their exercise
amountsto the same thing NJ an oral argument
cal mode ofteaching the art ofpuhlic speaking.
Obviously the fewer the students, the more
training of this kind each one can obtain.
No young man who has attempted without as
sOciates in study, TO master the volum nous
learning of the law, need be told Of the dismal
and often overpowering drcariness Of such an
undertaking. Blackstone, after quoting
very great lawyer, Sir Henry Spelmans con-
fession, that such trial had made his soul sink
within him, condemns the effort TO learn law
by -''sequesteriug ones self from the world
and by n tedious, lonely process, extract
ing the theory Of the law from mass Of
learning. He equally condemns
the effort TO learn it "by an assiduous atten-
dance on the courts, to pick up theory and
practice together A law school gives the
student immense relief from this painful
irksomeness attending his first year or two's
plodding in the endless volumes Of the law.
Such relief is derived from the emulation
and companionship Of studying in classes,
and from the daily examinations. The stu
dents are 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 n much livelier,
and therefore, much more vigorous prosecu-
tion of his studies, to be derived by law stu
de mt from the daily discussions Of a law school,
there is another question, namely, whether
law office or a law school be the better place
for learning law in n scientific method, such
and on this question, the attention Of students
and of the profession is invited to 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 n lawyer, educated 10
the bar in subservience to attorneys and So
licitors, win 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, pTi0ri, 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 two's further leisure, 10 lay the foun-
dation of has future labors in n solid and sci
entiic method without thirsting too early TO
attend that practice which il is impossible be
should rightly comprehend, lac will afterward
proceed with the greatest ease, and will unfold
the most intricate points with an intuitive ra-
pidity and clearness."
l Blackstone Common taries, Introduction,
PIP. 3l-34. july23wGm