Morning journal and courier., 1883-04-11
Wednesday, April II, 1888.
THE PURITY oETHE BAR

THE PURITY OF THE BAR In this city and in Hartford committees have been appointed to which charges of un. professional conduct on the part of members
 of the bar may be made, and thess commit
 tees are to report such cases as they think | need investigation to the court. So far as
 we can judge such movement is needed, and it is creditable to the bar of the two
 counties as whole that it has been made
 But while it is generally admitted by those
 who know anything about the matter that it
 is time that the tendency 10 misuse the high and important responsibilities of the legal profession should receive some check, these committees should, of course, proceed with
 great caution, and only make presentation of
 those cases to the court which thorough
 investigation has warranted. mere accusa-
 tion against lawyer, especially against a
 young one, is apt to do him serious injury,
 even if he subsequently, succeeds in showing
 his innocence. But where an accusation is justified by proper and careful investigation the committees should not hesitate to make 1t, and the investigation should be uniinch- ingly pursued to the end and due punish
 ment inflicted upon the culprit by the court
 The community has no small interest in the maiptenance of a high character by the bar. Notwithstanding much that appears to the contrary in these days, the position of lawyer is really high one when properly filled. Great responsibilities are committed to him, and for the proper discharge of his duties not only sound learning but thorough integrity Is required. And the moral infiu- ence of the bar upon the community is of great moment. Therefore every effort should be made to preserve it's purity and honor.
 We know that there is a tendency to con. trast the present unfavorably with the past but it is none the less true that the time is still within the memory of the older residents of New Haven when the fact that a man was lawyer was reasonable proof that be was man of education and gentleman Now, we are sorry to say, man may practice law in New Haven without being either gentle man or having any education to speak of There are several apparent reasons for this change. One of the most conspicuous is that men now admitted to the bar on much too easy terms. Whatever tends to lower the culture of the bar tends also to lower it's dig n1ty and to destroy that refined esprit du corps which from very early times has made the legal profession notable for its high sense of honor. It may be said that the terms of admission to the bar established by law do not differ materially from those in force in former times in this State. But 8 wholesome prejudice of the people, inherited from Eng land, demanded in those days thorough education for all the learned professions In ourtimes an extreme and mistaken spirit of Democracy has changed all this, and it is deemed aristocratic to demand special accom- plishments as passport to professional or public life. The levelling spirit of the day demands that the learned and the unlearned shall have an equal chance. Thus in some of the west. ern States almost any man may be a lawyer who is able 10 pay the registration fee. This departure from the standard of former times has done infinite mischief It has admitted to the legal profession great number Of men insuficiently educated, and great deal of vexatious and unnecessary litigation has been the result of their want of professional skill, not to mention their mis- conduct. Another prolific source of weak ness in the bar is the course of politics. The legal profession has come to be regarded as stepping stone to political preferment. And as public employment in this country does not seem to require any special fitness, prepar- ation for the legal profession as means to- wards entering this employment has natur- ally been nasty and inadequate. For these and other reasons the legal profession has become overerowded until it is difficult, es- pecially for the younger members, to gain in it a livelihood by it's legitimate and honora ble pursuit.
 Though the movement in New Haven and in Hartford towards purifying the bar is in the right direction it will be, even if thor oughly carried out only partial cure The restoration of the bar in this State to the prestige it once enjoyed can only be accom- plished by return to the ancient standards.