The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-01-18
THE LAWYER OF TODAY.
He Is Gradually Becoming More and More
of "a Specialist.

He Is Gradually Becoming More and Nor.
of Specialist.
There is as much learning here in
the legal profession as ever. but it is
not on exhibition. said a Philadelphis
lawyer. In the first place, the courts
will not countenance its undue display.
In old times al advocate was allowed
great latitude. Formerly, in a case Of
damages caused by a neglected side
walk, the attorney would be allowed 10
expound not only the laws relating l..
damages for neglect, but ne mial;
stray OFF into the realms of medical ia
r~isprudence at great length. aud even
perorate with an allusion to the Iaaua
Charta, the constitution and the Aar.-
lean eagle. At present a lawyer D.
contne himself to the real merits oil
case. The machinery of orr courts 4
grown too costly to permit such W.
of time. IL follows that there j.
oratorical skill displayed than IN form
days. especially at the period when scr,
of leading lawyers made Il spatia.,-
of criminal defense. Now fow l~a,g-r-
Of eminence. either in Philadelphia &,
the east generally, undertake the dc
ferse in a criminal case.
To-day the practice of law. like oth,i
professions, is becoming more and NOR
specialized. a law office is sIInpl.
business Office. as you may discoy,I
by visiting some of the handsome now
Office buildings down town. know Of
n Office where there are several part
ners, that would remind you of "A bank
ing Office. and where "A booEkeeper anC
cashier is employed to pay off clerks
typewriters and other employees. You
will, however. still find veteran member
of he bar pursuing old time methods il
a coy. quiet Office, sitting at a baize GOV
cred table amid a wilderness of wei
thumbed books. They carry a darL
green bag filed with briefs when they
go to court, precisely as all lawyers die
80 years ago and as London barrister,
still do.
As TO young lawyers, however tai
ented they may be. if without social ol
political prestige. their struggle to ad
vance in the profession is sure to be .
hard one. Practice now is often inner
tied or transmitted in some other way
| could point out to you in Philadelphia
law firms that have been confined to the
members of one family or its collateral
branches since the Revolution.
II may say hat there is an evident
impetus to change many useless old L..
gal methods. The remark of Lord Cole.
when in this country, that ther,
were many volumes of English legal de
cisions which it would do no harm L
destroy, would answer as the main
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 a term 10 apply e
for it is founded on %preccdcul.
sometimes the older the better. For thi
Jurisprudence is The least r~u
gressive Of the sciences. still there hav.
been. no doULt. Improvements in mp;l
DDS OF practice. though | am not niue
Of a code lawyer. | have had to study
bard all my life. The younger lawyer
appear TO do little of that. They seen
10 believe. with Aaron Burr. that Law
Is whatever is boldly advanced and
llausibly maintained. "-Philadelphia
Record.