The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-28
GETTING a LIVING FROM LAW
The Hardships and Small Earnings of
Young Men in the Legal Profession.
Now the Hundreds of Hangers-0n Are Com
PEELED to Live - indianapolis law
Firms That Have Big Incomes.

nau Eunuetn not 10 the contrary that lawyer Is
at the summit of human aspirations is respon-
sible for E good deal OF hard luck. Parents
whose overweening desire TO have their sons III
better position of life than they themselves en-
JOY began this miserable form of education.
college course with its methods OF cultivating
oratory through literary societies and professors
of elocution, overload the boys brain with the
popular idea that to be lawyer and talker Is
the best thing life can possibly afford. The fas
cinatfon Of politics, promises Of Office, and, all
told the probable favor of the busy tongue Of
fame also increases the fancy that they can be
more readily attained through the profession OF
law than through any other means Of livelihood.
But young lawyer, an old one either, who
has the failure Of years marked all over him is
not pleasing person to contemplate few
years test the worth of ambition, and If 1T fails
the man becomes a successful money-grubber or
a veteran leading forlorn hope against starva-
ton
With rare exception, the young law student is
moved by the highest ideal Of the profession.
He wants to be a lawyer of worthy reputation or
none at all He proposes to scorn trifiing or dis
honest clientsge, and TO take no criminal case
unless to punish the guilty offender. or to secure
justice for the falsely accused. And he proposes
to know whether the man is guilty or not before
he would even think of taking part in the case
He Would rather serve justice for nothing than
protect the avowed criminal. This ideal IS snors-
lived when the callow professional begins to shit
TO: himself Nine-tenths of the class are glad
enough to negotiate on the outside of q station
house cell with the offender within for $40 fee.
The fee is rated according to the crime and the
possible possessions and outside support the
prisoner has. This is shysterng, pure and SIM
pie. 1t would be unfair TO catalogue all youth
full lawyers under this head, but there are those
OF some prominence in the profession who do it
unbushingly and bring themselves to level with
the ignorant louts who styled lawyers by
courtesy. This belongs to minor general prac-
tice, and thGt is about the limit for
two-thirds of the lawyers. young and old.
OF twenty-five young men who begin law to-
Rether two OF them may in twenty-five years
be enjoying fair, reputable and profitable prac-
tice, twelve of the remainder will think them
selves rich if they can manage to scrape together
$1,000 year. The rest are apt to keep soul and
body together on pickup fees. or to become bar
room lounRers, exchanging legal points for
drinks. 1t may be too sweeping to include all in
this last list There will be manhood sufficient
in some of them to take'them into honorable en-
ployment other than law. A few become clerks,
and develop into well-to-do observation-disclosures
become successful at what they should have be-
gun at the outset, farming. But it is poor prom
Use for the young lawyer, 10 matter what his
ability is, unless he has means to keep him go
ing for several years, and then he viii need in
fuential patronage to help him along in the line
OF his young dream.
indianapolis has about three hundred law
yers. OF these seventyfve are just entering
practice, buSn addition to these fifty students
and clerks. The average earnings reach what
4 first class clerk or book keeper can command.
and, try as the average young law
more. What is true of this city
is equally true of others. After two or three
years OF hard study. the fedgling is up in the
clouds ii he can earn four or five hundred dol
lars during his first twelve months. Alas! for
the hopes of the majority, it is long time be-
fore that figure can be surpassed. When it is
doubled, the happy recipient of this favor of
fortune thinks himself within stepping distance
Of the chief usticeshp. He believes his time
has come when he can enter politics with
tainty, and the next ten years half mis- 600 of
yearly fees is spent in securing defeat from
nominating conventions. With this experience
he casts about for more cases, with determine.
ton to cling to law. He experiences once more
the delightful sensation be felt at his beginning,
that of getting an extra divorce or COW case. and
lie thinks fortune once more is ready to smile on
him Within the Mayors and justices courts is
confined the young lawyers ambition for the
ceptional opportunities through friends of wealth
Rqd position. he is likely to stay there through
his professional career. With notary's com
mission he may increase his income by
couple of hundred, but it is the
higher courts only at rare intervals and then
only with divorce complaints or suits involving
but little completely The average fee in these
cases is from $40 to $15. Fees on collections add
their quantity. and so in time the income of the
LAWYER a laWvArS 90 hy nd nd
thrift, be brought to the respectable sum of ST.
900 or 81, 200
There is system of drumming for business
that enables the young professional to relieve
the weary waiting for clients Sometimes he
imposes this duty on ahanger-on in his Office, and,
between the two cases. promising contingent fees
are secured. They hear of matters that can be
brought to litigation and get into the inner spir-
it of the controversy. Then the inducements
are put to work in order to move one or the other
of the parties to bring suit. While this class of
cases is not very profitable they help swell the
tncome and enable the young lawyer to wait his
opportunity fer the one case that will bring
clients to him instead Of driving him into
the market of iitigants Contingent fees
are not sneered a: by many reputable practi-
tioners, and so the legal grind runs on with it's
successes and failures always in interchangeable
proportion There is also a class of alleged at
torneys who survive by going on bonds and pro-
curing bondsmen, collecting rents and driving
debtors wild. Commercial law with the higher
branch OF collecting business was at one time
prohsaole, but corporation law is the goal for
which the money making practitioner now
strives A young attorney retained by a
wealthy concern or scheme can turn to living On
the fat of Tia land, but where he succeeds the
majority OF his kind seek the dull and constant
struggle for fees from general practice In time
10 per cent OF this number drop t of the pro
feason and try fortune through other avenues
There is one Indianapolis firm Of lawyers that
has an income Of $50 GOO per year. two more that
e.
that has the largest and most profitable general
practice in the city, amounting to $i5 000 The
average old lawyer of fair standing has from
$4,000 to 81, 600 to reward him for his work. but
the many must be content with frst-class
slerk's wages
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