The morning call., 1892-02-28
BARRISTERS IN ENGLAND.
Their Studies and Manner Of Being Called
TO The Bar.
s Peculiar Professional Uaion How the
Bsrristsr kttains Success and Meets
With Disappointment.
Written for THE sUNDAY CALL,

lawyer, or, If lawyer, that he should en-
gage IN practice; Ii Is only material that he
should pass "a certain superficial eXamina-
lion at his inn of court, after having eaten a
minimum or maximum number OF dinners,
and that he should pay certain fees, high
enough ID naked poor mau pause. The eX-
RmiraUons are conducted az set times in the
several inns Of court and the students who
are successful receive a call 10 Tie bal
that's, a license % don a Wig and gown ana
to 90 into practice.
II q student fail, 10 pass he may continue
10 eat his dinners du.inE the terms that the
inns are open, and very good dinners they
are, at the moderate price Of ? shlungs.
IL is plain fare, Of course, but abundant,
juicy: and good, AMI on grand nights"
when the BeucAerS dIue az the upper table
with number Of distinguished guests, the
feast is IQTd.Y There Is Capon on the table.
besides roast meats, done to il turn Oh the
spit and some of the wine could not be
eXcellel 10 London When the Bench6T5.
who are the governing body Of the inn,
draw Up-u tie cellar for their own gratii-
cation, they understand well Wnit is a
choice vintage. They have ample choice Of
very old butts as well as OF new bottling.
IItue wonder that the reyels among the
h0isterouS students especially II any have
been called, are merry and rompish, even if
the Prince Of Wales be present, as occa-
sionaily he is in lis capacity as B5ucheT Of
his inn. Tie bagp.pes are sometimes played
by an enthusiastic scot 70 the great del ght
Of the seniors who have become boys again.
GETTING INTO PRACTICE
A student may choose his own time 10 be
called. 1t is not positively necessary that
he should be called at ell. He may 20 on
eating dinners and euJ Dying all tile aiyan-
tages Of library and lectures and ass0cia-
. ton with gentlemen until he dies. Mob ady
Will hint 10 him that he is getting bald or
stoOp-sAOuldeIed, and that It Is time he held
brief and IS seen IN court looking wise IA
a wig. That is his affair, aud he knows
best himself when the cOuYeRie Mt moment
arrives 10 begin his baIristegial caIteT. 4
very large proportion OF students are called
who never mean 20 practice. They are men
Of coed family or Of means who simply
want tile title IF baTTister for the honor Of
the thing. Perhaps the smatterlug Of law
they do pick up may prove OF use to
or petty sessions Only q very small
proportion u barTlstrTS make a living at
the bar Possibly 800 earn lucrative in
come; and twice or thrice that number are
lHdiftIeuay situated and have 10 content
themselves WIKI an income much more
dUcuetuE than they desire The dI-a2-
pointed walt On and perhaps succeed I'D the
END, others dsou OIL into UbscuTlty ana give
Ep the race lot practice gladly II they re-
CeYe some appointment with q salary at
tacltd. Disappointed baTusteTs always
believe themselves the most capable OF
secret res. But II q bRrTIsteT continues in
practice OF continues to seek II he is under
Obligations IL honor not O. engage in vui-
gar occupations lie must moi be a grocer
Or keep puUEC-uOUSts OF Otu talIUW, or
soil Ila fingers In any trade whatever IBe
only occupation lie may turn 10 for bread
and butter Is that az writing or reporting for
the press, or entering The Held II literature
generally. Hl,s iblv uc might be allowed 10
paint. Not q few b3ET.steTs sketch Well
and Their sketches in court al times mag
he seeu III the illustrated papers.
FIRST EFFORTS.
Having Invested 10 a wig AM gown, the
neOpLyte hes him 10 the law courts and
saunleTs mp and down the great halls aud
corridors All out and IN the courts, trying
80 look as veteran as possible, and a. all
events not quite beginner. There Is DO
. occasion iOT hun 10 be nervous. Nobody
will bother him with a brief unless il be
2 complimentary one as junior, Endorsed for
EuIuet. That guinea may be tie last he
viii receive for many day, unless he
has inf IeDce among solicitors Of good stand
Ing, or Is discovered TO possess q bility and
sound grounding In law. 1t Is 10 doubt weary
work waiting tor practice. Che good case
against what appears powerful odts Often
makes the reputation Of a UaTristeT Sc
clre. and advances hIm On the road 30
fortune But # such q case does come
aud Tie baTrister Dungles &c and shows
"a poor mastery u his subject aud an Ildlf-
fersnt UOnL.ess manner 10 tie handling IF
witnesses; then farewell bis prospects Of
success. Tie solicitors, Who are always on
the watch lUT rising talent, M k5 note OF
p The failure, AMI il IS 60 the unWIEgsd side of
fsr- g. 10
f.T employment. Again tie young oarrj-t-g
has sometimes the misfortune 10 be D!tteI
against one Of tie recognized leaders OF The
bar, Who are frequently not too considerable VI
meEc.tul 20 The most juvenile Dleader If jrgi-
lated or crossed IN any manner. On the
other hand this is tie young barTisters Op-
p0rtunlly II lie succeed in Ya1quisuing the
leader Ae is Tee gniZed as having good met
lie III him, and briefs may be expected.
How FEES ARE PAID
Il is not technically right to say that a
barristeT seeks engagements. Indeed il is
nj etiquette % do Sd. The barrister is sup
posed O. plead Tor nothing. Hell not supposed
10 lei filthy iuCre ross his palm. Ii IS only
clean iucre when u passes through the hands
If his clerk, HhO dances attendance in all
the byWays haunted by solicitors and is
eager TO seTveB master upon whose success
professionally his own success depends
The solicitor hands the brief TO the clerk
together Win tie fee and tile clerk hands
both brief and fee to the baTristeT minus
one shilling deducted from each guinea.
This Is the clerks remuneration, When a
bafTlster Is very poor or very youthful,
the keeping Of clerk is not iu-
sisted upon strictly, or clerk NAV
duHuty fer several masters. Very success
iul baTTlsiers, whose incomes run from
$1,000 % 10000 year, pocket the shillipgs
themselves and only allow their clerks a
salary. For all that the clerk has pickinEs
which enable him still to regard his service
as slightly speculative, with poor results at
one tine AID encouraging ones at others.
a young baTrister of good family and hand
some personal appearance may make
short cat to success at the bar by marrying
the daughter OF a wealthy solicitor. At all
events cas- are thrown in his way for a
time, and ft de ends very much upon the
yrug man himself whether there IS a con-
uuu2nce Of fortunes fayoTs. lie must
2" OK and achieve reputation Tor industry
ard success.
Besides tbe fun range Of the many courts
Of the High Court CT Justice, both in
chancery aud at common law, the barTister
has county courts and police courts open to
him, aBu he has also the time-hOnUTed quar-
ter sessions TO provide him witlremploy-
ment a quarter session or county court
practice Is not considered the most eligible,
but much useful work does engage the at
.stentiop Of these courts and tie fees are not
to be- dtspsed. A few may earn their
thousands ont Of such practice In neigh
borhood where they are well known.
GOING on CIRCUIT.
. When called TO the bar the barrister has
20 elect which circuit he will travel lie
may plead anywhere in London, but when
he goes into the country to attend the as
sizes he must select one district and keep 10
t. Thus enc man goes the northern cir
cult, another the western, aud another the
midland. These are precautions taken In
the interest Of a close profession, but on the
whole the rule works satisfactorily. Natu-
rally a baTTisteT selects the circuit where he
expects most employment by knowing the
district and the people Going circuit is one
Of the best means of getting acquainted with
the country solicitor A fortnight or more
passed In q provincial town affords