New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE STUDY OF INSURANCE LAW.

"A TREATISE on TIE LAW OF INsU wiAN =.
FIRE, LIFE ACCIDENT MARINE ;S WITH III sre
SELECTION OF LEADING ILLUSTRATIVE ChSES
AND AN APPENDIX OF STATUTES AND fOkMS.
by George Richards. ovo PIP KILL Oo' ->e"
York: Banks d BROTHERS.
The method employed in this work Is largely an
Experiment It was prepared originally by MI
Richards as an aid to the students Of Columbia Law
School in attendance upon his lectures on the law oi
Insurance Apparently Mr.. Richards was sNlhs
much thought TO the subject (th0ugh ne h"u ho'
formulated and put to the test OF pracucai "pp"''
ton his plan of instruction., whie INC 'o'ha''
versy between the advocates Of the Two prcV''lh"e
methods of teaching law attracting pubnc attei-
ton by the vigor with which IT was carried OIL iho
ardent supporters of these opposing views '",o
permitted themselves to go TO extreme lehGthS' IL
has been contended behalf Of what IS terieo 'no
"textbook system that only by the hcui'"Aioh Va
legal principles from the tpatSes OF learned "ri'e'
or from the lips of lecturers and subsequent discussion
I'm the redtation-room, can proper louhdauohs VI
legal knowledge be laid. and that the attempt 40
reach the law by means of "leading cases" VIII
finally leave the student narrow, slave to preceuei'
and lacking In that power kf applying prihcipieS "
ney conditions or combinations of circumstances upon
which progress in the law must depend. ThOSe WIZ
support the cease system" on inc otnor MAN,
assert with equal confidence that 1t is chieny
NV s,udvinc the application of legal principles
IN the concrete facts OF particular cases that the young
student can easily understand the meaning scope anu
effect Of those principles, and acquire whaV tcy aio
fond of termng practical knowledge" OF the law
Mr.. Richards has been quick to recognize the us
tinct merits of each method and to combine them into
a system which seems to unite the chlel advantages
~ both He does not discard the textbook On the
contrary he regards il essential TO the best khd OF
instruction a scientific presentation Vi euoJeo'
in its entirety 10y competent master Tic says III
his preface, must be of value TO a STUDENT "i'Nih
the broad scope of a general treatise principles can
lon
only for purposes Of study in the first instance Out
also for subsequent reference and review the relations
Of different cases to another can be explained 40
cisions seemingly inconsistent can be harnoh]eu'
historical developments can be briefly but Adequately
summed up and many particulars and distinctions VI
greater or less importance which coulu hou PosS'oiS
he touched upon within the bounds of any selection OF
isolated cases, can be enumerated UT p'oue"O ~
the reach of general rules
But il is becoming difficult task each year
10 select for the student the textbook tla' VIII c0
all his needs. The law is so rapidly changing WIFI
new inventions, industries and new loilhs Vi
commercial transactions, and the rulings OF the courts
Of different States upon analogous questions h"No o
so diversified that no one of the old standard
can wisely be put into the hands of the awStnehl u
less 1t be accompanied with annotatlOhS 50 hue4o"
Us TO make of it practically new WORK. Morc''ei'
the annotations themselves are often necesSay i"uc
quate and unsatisfactory. This is particularly u"o
densations of decisions of the courts However con-
scientiousy and accurately the writer may digest the
tudcial opinions they will either be so brief as 10 De
Of little aid TO the student or else occupy more space
than the limits Of ordinary treatses can ahoN.
Mr. Richards's method avoids all OF these dlrn-
entities and in a very simple way The INST nall OF
his volume is devoted to clear and plain statement
az the principles Of insurance law with ootnote cta
tions of controlling decisions that appear to be de-
signed more for the convenience OF the pracuupher
than for the use OF the student. The second nan
of the work is made up entirely OF selected "leauhg
illustrative cases." with the opinion OF the 'our'
given in full in each instance. The mere statement
of this arrangement shows its purposes and displays
its advantages. There is first presented to the stu
dents mind the principles controlling TINS Drach Vi
the law In its various phases While these legal con
illusions are still fresh in his mind, lie Is led 10 inc
examination OF important legal contest, ana traces
from beginning end the course Of reasoning by when
a strong and welltrained judicial intellect is led 10
the enunciation of certain conclusions, which, from
the moment OF their enuncation, become law For as
the author well says, textbook is not law. but
mere reflection OF the law. while the conclusions
of the courts constitute the common law Itself.
This is a manifest advance over previous systems
of legal instruction If can be thoroughly applied to
the other main branches OF the law, the study OF that
science will be much simplifed. and The young law
student will find the early steps of bis progress much
less perpexng and discOuragng. But the merits
OF Mr. Rchards's work will be recognized outside Of
the classroom, and in the Office Of the active practi
TONER 1t scarcely fail also to be Of service TO
that large and constantly increasing number OF per
sons not members of the legal profession, who are
directly interested in the insurance business. and there
fore in the governing ito transactions The work
is written in style snguarly free from unnecessary
technicalltles and strictly legal phraseology Insur
anee law has grown vastly in importance in recent
years and this Is the only work that covers It's latest
developments. The authors discussion of one Of the
most difficult and important phases OF insurance Law
that relating waivers and esoppel-is specially de-
serving OF mention. The careful analysis Of the New
York Standard Fire Policy presents all djudicatons
respecting II since the statute Of 1856, well
Thoughtful Interpretation OF clauses that have not
been the subject OF litigation.