Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-26
SUCCESS AT THE BAR.
Congressman Dalzell Points Out the
Chief Requisites.
A LEGAL MIND ISN'T ENOUGH.
Great Victories Always Bear the Smell of
Midnight Oil.
THIS Is AN AGE OF LARGE FEES
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH,

WRITTEN FOB THE DISPATCH.1
No man ought to study law who has not
a genuine love for the profession. 1t is
| true, generally, that men are successful
| only in those callings or pursuits upon
which they enter and in which they continue
from choice; but it is especially true, I
think, in the case of the law. Success
therein means hard work under even the
most favorable circumstances, oftentimes
indeed, almost always-lt means also a
long probation.
More than a mere knowledge of legal
principles, more than talent, or genius
even, is requisite to the successful practice
of law. The young man who is eager to be-
gin at the top-and all ambitious young men
are so eaeer-soon discovers that it is the
part of wisdom to 60 slowly, that creeping
comes before walking, and that after all the
something is not to be found in books, nor
to be learned from the lips of a mentor, that
is to say, experience, is an essential factor
in working out the problem of success.
SUCCESS FINANCIALLY.
If a man have a love for his profession,
fair talents, industry and perseverance he
ought to succeed; though even with these
qualifications he may not. Success in the
law depends on so many contingencies, has
been attained by men under such diverse
circumstances, that it is impossible to lay
down any strict rules upon the subject. I
am making use OF the word success now to
indicate large practice and a correspond
ingly liberal income. What constitutes
true success as lawyer, in larger sense,
would furnish subject by itself for quite
comprehensive talk.
When 1 say fair talents mean the kind
of talents that adapt themselves to the study
and practice of law. We often say such
man has legal mind. That is to say, he
has mind which naturally absorbs legal
principles, and sees and recognizes the
justice of nice distinctions. A man may
have legal mind and enjoy the study of
law, the indulgence in nice distinctions,
and have in addition a knowledge of de-
cided cases, and yet not be capable of be-
coming successful lawyer in practice.
THEORY AND PRACTICE.
I have known men who were we'll up in
the book learning of the profession, but
were unsuccessful LAWYERS notwithstanding,
because they lacked the faculty of applying
what they knew to facts when presented to
them. Their law was all theory; it was in
their heads and wouldn't come out at the
proper time and place. I have known
man who, when talking to brother lawyer
about q principle oflaw, could cite him to a
case on all fours and yet, if within half an
hour client presented himself with such a
case the same lawyer would fail to find any
analogy between the real case presented and
the case in the books. He failed to make
connection, that is all.
So you see more than legal mind and
legal knowledge are necessary. You must
have also practical faculties, such as fit
book learning to facts. The we'll equipped
young lawyer, we'll read and practically apt,
must still await his opportunity. It may
come to him or he may make it, but oppor-
tunity he must have. 1t ayails man moth
ing thathe has the ability to distinguish
himself. for instance in the trial Of a case,
if he have not the opportunity to try the
case.
oPPoRTUNITY~AND EXPERIENCE.
Men are slow to trust their lives, their
fortunes and their sacred honor to a young
man fresh from his books. Opportunities
undoubtedly come to some men sooner than
to others, but opportunity is nothing unless
the man to whom it comes is ready to mas
ter it. Opportunity is only chance for
success. If the chance be not taken ad-
L
talent be wanting opportunity will prove
wasted.
And the man of opportunity must have
staying qualities, so as to make other oppor-
tunities until his reputation shall have be-
come fixed. I have heard it said of sue
cessful man at the bar. "Oh. yes, it was an
easy thing for him; he succeeded to so and
SOS practice" But, mark you, he would
not have succeeded to $50 and SOS" prac-
tice had not $50 an SOS" clients agreed, and
and if he had succeeded to the practice he
would not have held it, had he not proved
himself equal to the task. The man fated
to be successful will make opportunities.
He will be found on hand fully equipped
just when somebody expected has failed to
put in an appearance, and a pressing demand
e1ists;for the right man in the right place.
HOW OPPORTUNITIES COME.
For instance great case is for trial and
the senior on one side is absent for some
reason, sick, detained; anyhow not on hand.
The case must go on. The junior takes his
place perforce, against his will, and against
his clients will. But the young fellow is
so timid that he would never have entered
it save under pressure. He is proficient in
the law; he knows all the facts; he handles |
witness and jury with a mastery skill and |
in the end the verdict is his.
Thereupon he has his hand on the ladder, |
thencetorth it is with him to stand or to |
climb. That rare opportunity has for him |
the doorway to fortune; but the opportunity |
would have availed him nothing had he not |
been ready to seize it. Once seized his |
triumph will be feeting if he have not the |
persstency, the industry, the dash to make
it-but the first step in a series, the end Of
which shall be conquest
Success at the bar means as have already
intimated, hard work. It means not only |
days but nights. too, of toll, unremitting
toll.
THE SMELL OF THE LAMP.
The successful lawyer is the man who
burns the midnight oil. have often heard
it said sneeringly: ''Oh, yes, that was fine
speech, but it smells of the lamp" But I
have noticed, too, that the smell of the lamp
and favorable verdicts are very apt to be
found in close conjunction. The men who
make close legal arguments to the Court,
and eloquent and persuasive speeches to
iuries on the inspiration of the moment, ex-
ist only in the Imagination of boasters; they
are not to be found in real life. There is no
genius like industry. The successful law
yer, like Aladdin, traces his wealth to his
lamp.
Once in the swim the tide that carries the
successful lawyer is pitiless. Clients null
tiply, they are pertinacious, merciless; they
will have the successful mans service.
Ambition, pecuniary reward tempt him; he
cannot halt; he must 60 on, and soon he is
The slave of his profession. But it isa
glorious servitude. What other profession
Il exclude none) SO noble?
THE LAWYERS RESPONSIBILITY.
Tn the LAWYERS keepiup are the issues of