Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-12-16
The LAWYER or TO-DAY.
Ho Is Gradually Becoming More and More

Ho Is Gradually Bccominc More and More
of N Specialist.
There is as much learning here in
the legal profession as ever. but 1t is
not on exhibition, said u Philadelphia
lawyer. In tho first place, tho courts
will not countenanco its undue display.
In old times M advocate was allowed
great latitude. Formerly, III Gaze Of
damages caused by neglected side
walk, tho attorney would bo allowed to
expound not only tho laws relating to
damages for neglect, but he might
stray off into tho realms of medical ju-
risprudenco at great length, and even
perorate with an allusion to the Magma
Charta, tho constitution and tho Amer
lean eagle. AT present a lawyer must
conhne himself to the real merits of his
case. The machinery of our courts has
grown too costly to permit such waste
of time. It follows that there is less
oratorical skill displayed than in former
days, especially at the period when some
of our leading lawyers made specially
of criminal defense. Now few lawyers
of eminence, either in Philadelphia or
the east generally, undertake tho de-
Tense in criminal case.
"Today the practice of law, like other
professions, is becoming more and moro
specialized. A law Office is simply
business Office, as you may discover
by visiting some of the handsome new
Office buildings down town. know of
one Office where there are several part
ners, that would remind you of a bunk
ing office, and where a bookkeeper and
cashier is employed to pay off clerks,
typewriters and other employees. You
will, however. still find veteran members
of the bar pursuing old timo methods in
cozy, quiet Office, sitting alta baize COW
cred table amid a wilderness of we'll
thumbed books. They carry dark
green bag filed with briefs when they
go to court, precisely sail lawyers did
90 years ago, AID as London harristers
still do.
"As to young lawyers, however tai
ented they l..ay II. if without social or
political prestige, tli..i- struggle to adj
vance in lie Procession is sure to be Il
hard one. F:asticl ioa IS often inner
tied OF Transmitted s.a:'.' c;.ier way.
could pc:4.e,--:: ~ ;:i.i h;:..dcli'hia
law firms til;,t h.s,. Issue :.aod TO the
members uf t,,:a ID. ii, ~ il collateral
branches sitice he {. .oilticn.
81 may ST. Fiat ,hare is an evident
imnet,s IN c;.;.,..2 n::.:.y U.s. less old le-
gal methods. The rtlnars Ct Lord Cole
ridge, when in this country. that there
we're many volumes of English legal de:
cisions which it would do no harm to
destroy, would answer as the main
spring of this impetus. Legislation is
certainly advancing in this-that mere
ly experimental general laws are passed
with greater difficulty than formerly"
Another lawyer, older than the other,
said: Progress in the legal profession?
Progress is hardly term to apply to
law, for it is founded on presidents,
sometimes the older the better. For this
reason jurisprudence is the least pro-
gressiye of the sciences. Still there have
been, no doubt, improvements in meth
DDS of practice, though am not much
of code lawyer. have had to study
hard all my life. The younger lawyers
appear to do little of that. They seem
to believe, with Aaron Burr, that law
is whatever is boldly advanced and
plausibly maintained. philadelphia
Record.