St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-14
Board of Law Examiners
Will Have a Hard Row
to Hoe.
College Graduates Do Not
Always Make the Best
COunSelOrS.
Competency Of Applicants
Must Be Decided by the
Courts.
Hamlet.

ISOLATION Tuesday afternoon, providing
for the appointment of a board Of six
examiners Of applicants for permission
to practice law was generally discussed
by members of the profession yesterday.
Some scrutinized the proposed measure
very carefully and made up their
minds accordingly while others pleaded
lack of time as an excuse for not being
able to give an opinion on the matter.
A tour of the county offices in the Twin
Cities resulted as given below:
Mr.. Mead-SOme features of the bill
are all right, but as whole [ object to
its passage. Too much detail to the
examinations, and it asks performance
of a wrong kind ON the part of the ap-
plieant.
Judge Gorman-If applicants are ex-
amined in open court by competent
examining board it will be much better.
The rules laid down in the proposed bill
are hardly applicable to this part of the
country.
E. E. McDonald-Th present system
is all right. The best lawyers we have
are not cOllege-bred men. and admission
to the bar is but the threshold of their
professional career. If examinations
are conducted properly under the old
plan, it will maintain the present tone
of the bar.
FL. j. Horn-From what I can learn of
the purport of the bill, it seems to me
that as whole it IS not what we want.
The bar at present IS as fine a body as
can be found anywhere in the country.
Ii the old form of examinations and adj
mission is adhered to, and a good exam
lining board appointed, there is no dan
ger of intrusion by unqualified persons.
Hutchinson & Pike-The :object of
the bill is good, though it has some de-
fects. more especially in connection
with the time required for study.
C. B. Marvin think the bill an eX-
cellent one, though there should be
some distinction between the times for
study of men with previous experience
and those without.
jill. Townley-It is a good and per-
feet bill. 1t should meet with the APP
proval of the legislature and of the
courts. At present there are too many
ShySter lawyers.
Ii. C. Wood--I think the system of
examinations should be made more
rigid, and am in favor of the adoption
of a similar system to that in use in
New York and many other Eastern
states, which is the conducting Of all
legal examinations by the supreme
court.
". C. GOforth-The bill, with some
trifiing amendments, should pass as
read before the bar association. |
think that two years course of study
in the university should be coupled
with one year in a law office.
G. HI. Gorman-The bill has some
good features and some very poor ones.
[ am disposed to concur in the general
tenor of the act, but do not believe in
placing the examinations in the hands
of the law society.
j. w. Willis-I am in favor of the bill,
as | think it is calculated to raise the
tone and dignity of the bar.
G. Tyson Butcher-It is a very good
bill, but l favor giving any man
license to practice, and the general
public will very soon discover who the
best lawyers are.
G. ID. O'Brien-I am not in favor of
the bill, as 1t has tendency to make
the bar association close corporation.
l fail to see why the bar association
should be the judges of who should be
admitted to the bar. The courts ought
to be made the Judges, as they are COM
petent. The effect of this bill would be
to make all the available offices charge
premiums to law students, whereas they
now pay them a small salary.
T. d. Merwin-I am in favor of some
restrictions, but would prefer to see
examinations conducted by board,
who would then recommend the names
of those who were successful to the
courts for their final action.