The morning call., 1893-01-30
HEDGING THE LAW.
The Bar Association to
Take Action.
"ADMITTING AN ATTORNEY
Judge Slack Recommends That the
Supreme Court Be Relieved of a
Vexatious Business.

The action Of the Bar Association on Sat
urday last in heavily scoring three attorneys
for unprofessional conduct has brought up
the question of how attorneys are admitted
10 practice law.
Every one is at one time or another COM
PEELED TO come in contact with the law. and
it is of vital consequences to life and prop
erty that some barriers of safety should be
thrown around the doors leading to the bar.
The profession itself is fully awake TO the
importance Of keeping its ranks select and
filed only by duly qualified meE.
They feel that the inscription duly Ii
censed to practice before the courts" should
be perfect guarantee of legal capablity
and responsibility. yet they know that there
is horde Of legal sharks who prey upon the
public under the cloak of the law.
1t is such legal sharks that the Bar Asso-
citation is DESTROYS of eliminating from the
profession.
How are such attorneys" admitted to
practice, anyway?
ATTORNEYS are admitted TO practice" said
one of the profession yesterday, "either by
the Supreme Court, which authorizes them
to practice before all the courts, through
the schools OF law, or by the Superior Court,
The licenses are granted upon oral
examination by the respective courts.
THUS any attorney who is friendly with
Superior Judge can generally manage TO
pull friend through. The court is told
that a certain man, "a friend Of mine going
through the law-school and natural born
lawyer, besides being tip-iop fellow, will
appear before him for license on such or
such day. or course the court would find
it difficult to reject such an applicant.
"'lben. again. the Superior Court OF this
city and county has TO recognize the license
to practice in any other county. which may
have been procured with siill less for
n1ality.
"As to the Supreme Court licenses, it is
different
Twice a year, on the first day of each
term, batch Of wOuld-be lawyers are run
up before the justices and there subjected
to an oral examination Of greater or less
extent.
ST Justice is subject to dyspepsia and
the candidate is nervous by constitution, ii
is 10 matter how well-read in law he may
be. his chance of success IS very critical.
Perhaps the Justice is in a specially
good bumor, having written mastery
opinion or scented legal nicely of micro
SCOPE fneness. In that case the trembling
applicant, conscious of some confusion on
the score of leasehold, freehold or fee
simple, may be amazed at receiving the
coveted license after an easy question or
two.
"'Are YOU marfedP p is a sample of such
an examination, believed to be mythical,
but closely cherished, all the same, in the
profession"
The Bar Association has these facts un-
der consideration.
Superior Judge Slack is on the associa-
ti0n's committee on legislation and re-
Gently submitted an interesting report on
the subject.
In the preamble bis Honor shows the ne
ceSSlly Tor some change IN the present
method OF admitting attorneys TO the bar.
bis report refers to the notorious fact
that there are su-ealled Lawyers" practice
ing before the courts who are manIfestly
ignorant of the common law, while destitute
of the necessary character to hold their re-
spolsible position.
An interesting statistical table is then in
troduced showing how many more men are
admitted 10 the bar on easy terms than are
admitted 10 practice medicine or theology.
The p0inti is made that much less number of
attorneys are admitted through the sehaols
OF law than on examination AID the preSen-
tation Of licenses from other countries.
Judge Slack then proceeds to show that
in the few minutes allowed it for examlna-
ton the Supreme Court cannot possibly go
over the entire range of the law. The law
student in the schools is subjected to a daily
recitation and every year to a searching eX
animation extended over two entire days.
This makes six days examination i'll the
three years course, aud yet here is the Su
pFeme Court supposed to e0ndeDse It's ex-
animation into few minutes.
The result at which the Judge arrives in
his report is the necessity for the institution
Of a Commission OF Examination.
This commission might be appointed by
the Supreme Court To duly, carefully and
thoroughly examine the applicants for
lPpuSR
tribunal.
In this way, the report urges, the Su-
preme Court would be relieved and the can
ddates would have the benefit of fair, be-
cause prolonged, examination.
Judge Stacks proposition is being very
favoTabiy considered" said a member OF
the association yesterday.
Some such action is i'm peratiyely needed
for the protection of the public and reputa-
BILE members of the profession.
This examination work is not the busi-
ness OF the Supreme Court, aud the JUS
tees don't like it. They are overwhelmed
with legitimate business anyway
You know that they have been three
years behind with their calendar, and have
been debarred from drawing their salaries
for four and five months at time because
of the law requiring an affidavit before they
could draw their salaries that 10 case had
been before them undecided for more than
ninety days. They have had TO raise money
anyhow in consequence, but are gradually
catching up on their calendar now.
1ou see 1t is asking too much of the
Supreme Court that it should be further
hurdened by long examinations. and the
best escape from the dilemma is that pro-
posed by Judge Slack"
1t is expected that the Bar Association
will take action shortly on its committees
report regarding the matter, and that a
statute Will be drafted embodying It's main
conclusions.