The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-20
THE LAWYER FACTORY.
Fifteen Hundred Limbs of
the Law Flourish in
New Jersey.
FEW DIE NONE DISCARDED
The Making Continues Rapidly
How DO They All Live and
Prosper?

4Ho uioAiuS VI IaWyeEs Suco hoIEhy oh
In the State. and climbs OF the law" get
more numerous each year. The members
OF the New Jersey Bar now number a
few over fifteen hundred, and they are
increasing at the rate of half a hundred a
year. They are dying at the rate OF about
ten per aunum. which atteSts TO tue
heaIthfulness OF the pursuit. aud the
tissue saving properties of Blacksto ne.
The courts never disbar a lawyer. or
hardly ever.
Oue-hfth OF the lawyers who are in the
Supreme Court list of practitioners do not
pracIIce at all, or are engaged IN some
other pursuit. This accounts for part OF
the great number of lawyers. Many of
them are never heard OF i'll court, and
perhaps some of them are not known TO
be of the bar. l.. Spencer
Globe, Thomas L. kinney and other we'll
known Newark men IN business are
amoug these.
The rush of young men to this profess
sion is slightly on the increase, aud the
number that passed the attorney exam
ination in 1892 was larger than any time
during tue past ten years. A Class OF
. thirty-ive is getting ready to come on for
the June examination. Tine number
that passed through successfully at the
February examination was ia very
good beginning for 1898.
TWO WAYS OF AIIORNE1.
There are only TWO ways OF becoming
an attorney. One is the old fashioned
way. which has been in vogue for over
one hundred years. The rules govern
ing the mental character of the student
his requirements and certihcatlons--have
been frequently amended since 1859. The
rule of September. 1850, makes the age OF
twenty-oue requisite,
That of 1857 and 1850 says that mo per-
son shall be recommended for license as
an attorney unless he shall first submit
himself to an examination as hereinafter
provided. and thereupon give satisfac-
tory evidence of his learning iu the law,
aud bis knowledge IF the practice
thereof, rs established in this State"
Under a very old order made at the
August term, 1852. and amended in 1880
and 1917. and nc other sittings of the
court. these rules, which control nearly
all the admissions, were fix ed:-"No
person shall be admitted to examination
Tor license as an attorney, unless he shall
have served a regular clerks hip with
some practising attorney OF this court for
term OF three Years at least, IL
he shall have been previous to the
commencement of such services
admitted TO the degree OF bachelor of
arts or bachelor of scieHcs In any college
or university In the United States, aud
four at Ieast.if he shall uot have been so
admitted. and shall be of good moral
character; nor shall any person be admit
ted to Sucn exasilnatiou unless ne shall
have produced TO the u q certificate
from the person or persons with whom
his clerkstip has been served, or other
satisfactory evidence that he has not, at
any time during such clerksnip, been
engaged in. or pursued any business,
occupation or employment 1ncompa-
tible with the full, fare aud bona
file service of his clerkship. Any
rasrfinu tf fjmQ NOT + pXraAuinU nna
year and six months spent III regular al
tendance upon The law lectures IN any
college or university. or infany law school
of established reputation in the United
States, shall be allowed III lieu of an
equal period of clerkship ia the office of
a practicing attorney of this court. The
term of cierkship may comnence i'm
mediately after tue closing OF The then
last collegiate term of either OF the col
ieges of this State"
THE DUNN ACT OF 1885.
Iu 1885 tire court n,aae u rule based
upon ths Dunu act, approved February
%, 1882, wuich says that the rules respect
ing line clsrksaips shall not apply to per-
sons entitled to an examination because
or Unusual aptitude in the knoWledge OF
legal principles.
The DUN act states that any citizen
who is above twenty-one Years, who sh all
present to the Supreme Court a certid-
cate signed by Eve counsellors-at-law.
who rave been five years in good stand
Jug, certifying that the Person present.
ing 1t is of good moral character and has
an unusual aptitude in his knowle dge Of
legal principles, shall be admitted TO an
examination. II found qualified atler an
examination in the books now named by
the Supreme Court, he shall he admitted
to practice as an attorney.
Examinations for attorney and counsel
or are TO be conducted By a board OF ex-
aminers consisting OF six couuselors, aud
who shall all be appointed at each term
Tine examiners for the June term. 1898.
are James Nc. C. Morrow, of Newark;
G.. C, Black, Jersey City; James Buch-
TreDton; Thomas Il. French,
Camden, and Woodbury. d. Holt,
Trenton.
The e~xapinations are both written and
oral, and the requires that the writ
tie examination shall tie conducted on
the Wednesday afternoon Of the first
week OF each term, and the oral examtna-
tion shall be before the on Tues.
day afternoon Of the first week of each
term.
The average increase of the New Jersey
bar has been forty-eight per year, Il the
decrease about ten. IL is a noticeable
fact that some of the recent deaths re-
moved some of the oldest aud foremost
of the practitioners, such as Thomas ID.
Dudley, Supreme Court justices Knapp
aud Scudder. ex-Judge j. E. Shipper, of
Beividere: exclamation Caieo S. Green.
ex-United States Judges john L. Nixon
and Joseph Bradley, aud ex-Chaucsllor
Isaac Williamson. who was the oldest at
tie bar. His death leaves Chief Justice
Mercer Beaseiey the oldest membe of
the par. for he was Admitted in 1888,
in the same year that Cortlaudt
Parker was. There are none of
his class left. and in fact the number of
the men who have been practicing for a
half century or more Is reduced to two.
Thomas L. Kinney was made an attorney
ia 1874, as was Stephen b. Ransom OF
Jersey City, and Augustus u. Rfchey
Barker Gummere, of T%reuton; Manlou
Hutchinson. of Bordentown. and Thomas
McCarter. OF Newark. i845: ex-Chancel-
ior Theodore Runyon and A. @. keasbey,
1916; ArlOrney-GrneraI Stockton and
Henry S. Little, fS4S; Augustus w. Cut
Ter, 1S49. Justice David A. Depues 1S49
George NJ. Robeson, 1850; Justice Bennet
Syckel, 1851: Vice Chancellor Pftney
1851: exs Governors Bedle. Green and Lud
low. 1858. State Librarian Norris Ham
ilton was admitted In 1S42.
ATTORNEYS IN EXCESS OF C~oUNSELoRs.
There Is a notable difference betweei
the number of men made attorneys ant
those during the same perlod MAD
couuseiors. The total attorneys for TN
lie u years ending November term, 1877
YVES 4S7.- and counselors for tue same
period. 289, as the following table OF at
torneys aud counselors who passed sue
cessfui examinations shows