Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-07-23
How to be q LAWYER.

The Hon. Leonard SWEET addressed
@ class of law graduates at Chicago
recently, in which he gave them the
following advice as to how 10 be lsv.
yers. He said:
First Of all, he should start DOOR.
The speaker remembered that when he
WAS law stadent he went into the Of.
flee Of John Neal. the poet who com.
posed noted ode to the American
eagle. Mr.. Neal remarked to him:
You are pour, are you not? Then
you will succeed" Poverty is the only
substantial hope of . young lawyer.
The law is a profession OF unrelentless.
unremitting labor. Nothing but the
whip and spur Of necessity will urge
young lawyer to success. The speaker
took it for granted that the young men
here about t. grad ua:e started even in
respect to this worlds goods, aud if
any one of them were rich, his case
Was hopeless one. The lawyers life
IL life OF labor. Rufus ChOate said
that law practice was q trade. A law
yer must think with his lips. TIE talk.
ing faculty must be cultivated until
utterance is clear aud forcible, without
perturbation or confusing excitement.
a man cannot talk to purpose when
he trembles from head to foot, or labors
under over-excitement. The young
lawyer must learn to set the wheels Of
his brain in motion when he il under
excitement. This faculty is attained bv
constant practice. The Lord never
gave complete mental calnness to a
man, and perfect mental poise is only
acquired by use, and is not given as a
gratuity to any man.
1t is doubtful if any man ever gets
entirely rid of the agony that takes
possession of him in his first effort at
public speaking.
The speaker counseled the advisa-
bility Of young law students going to
the country to begin their law practice,
for there the best opportunities for use
Of the speaking faculties occur, md the
most frcquen AMI constant practice.
ln the country young law student can
the more frequently get upon his feet,
shake, and sit down again, and the
more frequently he gets up, shakes and
sits down, the better it will be for him.
The first thing u law student should do
IL to 60 to the country, settle down, and
speak ON every possible occasion. Mr..
SWEET remembered the time when q
friend offered him fifty cents for every
time he would speak in public, and
with that liberal iuducement he scarce
ly earned the first half-dollar.
The next essential thing for young
lawyer to observe is to keep we'll.
regulated Office. Success and dirt do
not run together. The orderliness of
lawyers Office and the care with which
papers are preserved will make clients
feel thut he can DO trusted, and that his
Office is place Of reliability.
Another element of success is hon
esty. A lawyer should be honest and
true to his profession. The speaker
denounced those who sacrifice client
to immediate gain. Nothing should be
done to client but to do him good. A
lawyer should never have quarrel
with client, and should never sue one
for q fee. Mr.. SWEET said he never
would do business with man without
agreeing for the fee in advance; thin
the only fair way for both parties.NN
the ratio OF compensation for services is
not settled beforehand, and the client
il not inveigled into expensive litigation
ere he is aware, and finally, il refusing
to pay, you are obliged to sue him, You
ought to resign law and give up prac.
tice. Clients are often most grateful
Of men, and will pay their fees readily
and gladly. Be good to your client
aud it will bring its reward. Lawyers
should interfere for the most speedy
peace, and that, too, will bring ito re-
ward. You can buy success by labor.
The practice OF law demands the ex.
clusion Of everything else. A lawyer
to reach high standard Of success
must not be " politician, or o specu-
lator. or anything else than lawyer.
The speaker encouraged the graduates
by informing them that they belonged
to noble profession, one worthy the
entire devotion OF the life and energies
of any young man. He counseled the
graduates to acquaint themselves with
all the practical affairs Of life and all
the legitimate ways Of the world.
Great care in the prosecution OF case
should be observed. A lawyer cannot
win by scrambling all over case; there
must be plan in it. You must hunt for
the joints; every legal case has hinge
upon which it turns. You will be
beaten enough, with all your care, said
the speaker; you should have plan.
The lawyer should mako his profession
the absorbing object of life. An ON.
nivorous devouting OF literature will
clutter the brain and injure its legal
faculty, and the angels will not bring
the legal lore and acumen when you
want them most.
Patriotism at a DiscOunt&LA