The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-04-04
rHE DECLINE OF rHE LAwYER.

Young man, If you think of studying
law for a profession, give heed TO az least
p few well proven facts Stop and think
advise then act.
An article with the title given above
appeared in the February number Of the
Ne1c Jersey Lane Journal II was writ
ten by member of the Newark Bar 1t
dealt not with glittefing generaIities and
suggestions but with hard facts. We
commend it to every young man who is
considering The subject of entering The
law as his profession. He must read it
IN full for his own good.
There is no doubt on tile two points
presented with such an array of figures by
Counsellor Miller, viz That the increase
in the number of lawyers in this State
has of recent years, been enormously out
Of proportion 20 the general increase Of
business of all kinds ; and, secondly, that
legal business has been actually shrink ing
every year since 1875. To put it in his
own language, concerning the city of
Newark
"Beginning with the year 1865, | find
that there were but 81 lawyers in Newark
then, in a population of 81.42S, VIII ich
makes the proportion of one lawyer to
every 1915 persons. From that time,
1865, the number Of lawyers has increased
much faster in proportion than the popu-
lation
I'm 1870 there were n lawyers ia q
population Of los, 542, making the average
per lawyer /, 370 which is 245 less than
the average Of 1865. Now come down To
1875. In that year we find Isl lawyers,
within OF being double the number
found five years previous, and this mum.
Der in population Of 1880, giving an
average per lawyer Of BIG, being SD less
per man than in 1870 and just 500 less
per man than in 1865. III other words,
between 1865 and 1875, a period Of ten
years, the lawyers list had increased three
fold, while in the same period the popula-
ton had not even doubled, being less than
one. half as much again increase. III 1880
the proportion OF lawyers TO The popula.
tion was one to 700, being 116 persons
less than the average Of 1875, ali going To
show that the population does not keep
pace with the increase in number OF those
seeking wealth and fame at the Bar
snow as 10 the quantity of business
which the lawyers have. From 1865,
litigation in Essex county increased grad
ually until it reached very large proper
tions in 1875, when there were OLE cases
on the law calendars, which, leaving out
Of consideration the lawyers in the town
ships, for the sake OF calculation only,
and dividing the cases equally, would
have given seven IN that yea. to every
lawyer az I said. from 1865 the lists Of
causes gradually grew, there being an
average of five and half causes to each
lawyer that year. III 1870 there were
5s3 cases among n lawyers making about
~ for each In 1871, 5G3 cases 1872,
8s7 cases; 1873, 7l3; 1874, 7s9 1875,
l,012.
.sAll tue years from 1875 show great
decrease, and coming down to the year
Just closed we find bnt III cases on the
calendars for the three terms, q difference
between 1882 and 1872 of almost geo cases,
and when we remember that we have 100
lawyers in the city of Newark besides a
good many In the county outside of the
city, we can readily see how many cases
each lawyer probably had last year, in
comparison TO the he very likely had in
1875, and this reduction In litigation oc-
Cured right in tho face of an increase In
population Of more than 10, 900
The writer goes much farther lie cx-
tends his observations to the Supreme
Court, Conrt Of Chancery, Oyer aud Ter.
miner, etc. lie shows that III every de-
partment there has been tremendous
shrinkage iD legal business.
Young men about to enter profession
ought to pause and consider well before
studying law. There is not one out of
ten lawyers now in this State who is
laying up o competence. Probably oIo
out OF three make passable living. Two
out Of three would starye but for some
other income. The profession is over
crowded, there is no business, aud the
onward push of the ambitious young men
Of this and other States toward this same
single profession, which formerly was so
rennmerative and had so much of honor
10 1t, should be stayed.
II what IL here written is not believed
by any one bent on becoming lawyer,
let him consult some one of the older
members Of the New Jersey Bar .--Somer-
gile Uni0nist- Gazette