The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1885-10-03
ETIQUETTE AMONG LAWYERS.
A Dissertation ON the Anpenities that are
Observed by Reputable Members
Of the Legal Profession.

A Dissertation on tho Anpenities that are
Observed by Reputable Members
Of the Legal Profession.
EDITon CHIEF:
In every case in which an application il
made to an attorney for his professional
services the immemorial rules sanctioned
by the customs and usages of nll decorous
and punctilious members of the bar in ev-
cry enlightened country may be thus briefly
defined and determined by the following
questions which are considered with care by
the high minded attorney in his dealings
with clients:
1. Have you employed another attorney
before calling upon me?
2. If yea, have you discharged him for
good and sufficient cause "a fact to be as
certained by interviewing the attorney of
the first instance), and especially have you
remunerated him for such services as he
may have rendered?
3. When it is discovered that an attorney
has had sole charge of a case at prelimi-
nary examination, the presumption nat
urally arises that he has been retained to
carry it through its various subsequent
stages to its final adjudication in courts of
the last resort.
At all events, the attorney last consulted
should satisfy himself beyond all doubt or
cavil of the above fact before pledging his
professional services, otherwise he becomes
liable to an imputation Of professional in
decorum.
4. Alawyer should carefully guard against
opposing the legal charges of other attor-
neys unless he find them, after a critical
examination, to be manifestly unjust, ex-
cessive and ol pressive.
5. Whenever an attorney is solicited 10
assist another previously employed, it is
due to the latter to first obtain his concur
renee in order to avoid all misapprehension
and maintain his personal dignity and self
respect.
8. Whenever it happens-which is fire.
quently the case-that the prosecutor or
prosecutrix desires to enlist the services of
additional counsel in criminal affairs to aid
the official representative Of the State or
government in the performance of his du-
ties, it becomes, as hereinbefore indicated,
absolutely requisite to procure previous
permission of the constitutional officer,
which is invariably granted by him, provi-
ded he possesses the least instructive cour-
tesy or fraternal liberality, especially when
such acquiescence would not detract from
the public confidence in the States attor-
ney or injure him in a pecuniary sense.
A refusal of the supplemental assistance
desired always renders prosecuting officers
the unenviable objects Of morbid vanity, or
repulsive types Of a degraded species of self
conceited mental and moral superiority
over other advocates. Who chance to hold nc
tsaAbyis9 astll1siitD
To deprive an honorable confrAre Of an
opportunity to "pay the beer, or better far
to buy the baby a coat" has always been
| regarded BY truly professional lawyers moi
only exceedingly selfish, but inexpressibl,
mean and contemplate.
will relate a noble example Of profes
sional chivalry founded on an actual cir
cumstance which came under my 0bserva
tion in the then Fourth, now the Twenty
second Judicial District. A legal friend o.
mine, who now adorns seat on the Su
preme Court bench, beside being a hospita
BILE, high-strung and noble specimen of tn,
Creole race, is fastidious stickler for thu
incest appearance of professional courtesy
as the sequel will prove.
| On one occasion he was visited by part,
in quest Of professional assistance in The
settlement Of an important succession, de
string, in the course of the interview, t,
know the Judges terms for the liquidation
Before proceeding to make reply, tn,
Judge inquired if his prospective client hat
spoken to another lawyer beforehand. Up
on being answered in the affirmative ant
being told that lawyer c. had nance
what the client considered an exorbitan
fee-$30O- Judge very fatty informed
the gentleman that the fee was not onl,
reasonable, but 800 less than his services
could be procured for. It is needless to ado
that the gentleman in question returned t.
the more considerate c.. one of tn,
ablest and most generous hearted lawyer
in this State. BLACKSTONE.