The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-28
LIVING BY THEIR WITS.
How Attorneys Scheme to Win Living at
the Bar.

How Attorneys Scheme to Win Living at
Detroit Post.
"How can all these lawyers earn their living9"
asked reporter of one of the Oldest members of
the bar.
''The lawyers have no difficulty in making
enough to live on. There is comparatively
small number of these amongst the three hun
dred attorneys here. OF course it is simply i'm
possible for three hundred men in city of this
size to exc out subsistence by the use of their
legal lore. A great number are young men who
have not worked up practice, and cannot be ex-
pected, however shrewd they may be,
to earn living Then. too. Detroit
has its full quota of shysters and
pettifoggers, vino resort to all sorts ofschemes to
earn dollar. If you will take a court docket
forty lawyers have most of the business. If the
law business were equally divided, there would
be enough to support all of the profession in the
city, but there are several who make $40, 900 or
$50, 900 year"
"How do the rest liver No.,
SIN various ways. Some have money to live
on inherited from their fathers some have rich
wives, many combine their law practice with
real estate and insurance business but there are
more than people suppose who are living from
hand to mouth hardly knowing where the bread
for the next meal Is coming from. There
is another class which, l am sorry to
say, is not a small one and which
is the disgrace of the profession. 1t is
way, gain the title of attorneys at law. They
make it a business to squeeze client as long as
anything can be gotten from him on one pretext
or another. at one time they want money tor
officers fees, but the money never reaches the
officers. At another time it is to pay for coun-
sci or for expenses There are thousands of
ways that are used to get money from an unsus-
pecting client Many of this class have Of
flee. They sponge their stationary off the county
beat landlords out of board bills, and borrow
money until their credit is gone"
''Do lawyers ever seek out businessr
Certainly they do. I know of lawyers in
this city who make it a practice to hunt up
persons injured on the railroads and induce
them to begin suits for damages. In these
cases the most of the lawyers fees are often
made contingent on the success of the suit A
dals. family disputes, or property litigation I'm
mediately any promising case Is developed the
lawyer approaches the victim and generally sue
ceeds In being retained"
"How is this business looked upon by the pro-
fessionl"
my own opinion is that no first class lawyer
would ever stoop to any such proceeding. When
can hardly wonder that such devices are re-
'Is this system pursued successfully 10 Grim
inal casesl"
Eyes, and much more easily than in civil
cases. / don't know how it is now but few
years ago have positive knowledge that there
was a combination of certain lawyers with de-
tectives and other officers The detective used
to get percentage Of the fees in all the cases he
would bring to thu lawyer he had bargained
with. 1t was very easily managed. Criminals
very frequently consult with the officers as to a
suitably attorney to employ, and the advice of
the officer is usually followed"