New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-01
COLLEGES MUST REGISTER.
OTHERWISE THEIR ALUMNI CANNOT
ENTER THE NEW-YORK BAR.
DIPLOMAS FROM YALE AND HARVARD THROWN
orr ny u,DGE VAN BRUNT-sIMTLAR
TREATMENT FOR OTHER COLLEGES
NEW RULE BRINGS LEGAL
ASPIRANTS To GRIEF.

A NEW RULE BRINGS LEGAL
AsPIRANTs To GRIEF
A round dozen of embryotc lawyers came to
grief this week before presiding Justice Charles
Fl. Van Brunt. Of the Supreme Court The as
pirants begged the privilege Of appearing before
the committee whose duty it is TO examine ap-
plicants for admission to the bar They were
colIege graduates and had complied as they
supposed with every requirement Of the statutes
and the general rules laid down by the Court of
Appeals They had sworn that they were citi-
zens Of the United States. more than twenty-one
years Old and residents Of the First Department
(Which takes In only the city Of NeW-IorD;
they had induced reputable attorneys TO sign
certificates that the asprants were of good
moral character. and had produced certificates
of attendance at law schools. Of clerkship In law
offices and diplomas showing graduation from
various universities and cole ges throughout the
country.
In every case their applications came down
from Judge Van Brunt indorsed in the Judge
cramped handwriting thus: mo evidence that
this university is registered with the board oi
Regents as maintaining a satisfactory stand
ard"
The Presiding Justice has become terror to
annIicants whose knowledge Of law is not well
grounded or whose title to the right OF eXami-
nation Is not as clear as daylight. Many such
in mast days have found it convenient To take
IN a temporary residence in other departments
wherc Presiding Justices are not 50 strict or eA-
s7niners searching
\ Law OF 1891.
"Mav 7 see the Presiding Justice?" said Har-
yard man 10 the attendant at the Judges private
chambers in the Court House yesterday When
no was admitted t. the judicial presence ne
began
II think there Is some mistake Your Honor
7 attached a certificate Of graduation from Har-
yard n my application for examination as an
attorney. and II IS returned 70 me. Is there
doubt. sir that Harvard's standard of educa'ionn Il
is high enough to come up 10 the l'd"''o''0
Of the New-York par! - M ba ra
nI,aI THAT does not enter into the queS,.0h.
The law requires that college eFaun"iGo, wa
seek admission 10 tn" bar must P1eSs'I ihtb Ih ,be
from institutions which are registered WIN e5 ',e
md nf Regents There is no evidence peioie
me- that Harvard has been 50 regis'ere1a o. al
But Harvard graduates nave AWAY
mittel WInoGi ,. 49, Justice laughed aloud.
This provision Of the law SAID ne. "en. "e 'n.o
effcc; January l. 1894, ana this Is lnr Tb
o,ninofi~n a. which ii has been operative, me
lov vas uasscd in 1891. but We decided 'ha1 II
would not bee fair - enforce u Tor 'hI'e yea. ;:
when all olerk-hips begun before INA, N,'e =,
nav. been ended. NJ attention mas p"ch pau -
IN. requirement in the mean time. ana 90 10,
mink that a single college has oeeh reEiSesS @ -.
with the Regents as malhtdlHllS Il ''-'''
standard II education.
YALE GOES DOWN WITH HARVARD
"Bu, what am | to do?'
81 do not know. | can't repeal the statute
and vou must produce a certincA'e H'i" O"'
BOARD Of Regents before you can take the eX-
animation"
Tho next victim was Yale man. and he swai-
,o,,.1 b,e ril with as much astonshed reluctance
,s had the Harvard graduate. But Justice Van
pru,t noremptorlly declined II take judicial
notice" of Yale's high standing and in effect de-
nardod = formal certificate attestinS the fact
,r, education AZ Yale is % sufficiently excellent
- character ~ satisfy the requirements or the
Ncw-York bar. , :. r.as
evident that no quarter was 70 "e ,, fo1,
the hands Of the Presiding Justice. Nlr" ~ - lo,''
four or five other Eastern colleges ana a w -.
ern institution or TWO walked into me JuuTr r.
private room only t. wish they hadn ne ne
result is that probably no college EIduu'l' VIZ VII
a., allowed to appear before the examining COM
mitrcc which is t. meet on saturday next
Nobody seemed to- know just what me new new
turn ~ affairs meant. Nobody knew Whr'he,
anv college in the country had ever reglslere',
with the Board OF Regents. and noDody seeIlri sIIpe
10 see just why any college should 90 go % %uInOs
at the request or some dluIllii''S W. ,-.1t ,,h ,
II Regents certificate. or course 2iulnn' W "o i,
| ,rish IN enter the New-YOrk bar Will see 10 Il
! that their colleges are registered.
Judge Van Brunt confessed that ne dli no.
| know what formality was required o. constitute
! e,,cb 4 registration, or what sort or ceFu"-
! cate thereof would be- sufficient III Is an c'-
tirelv new phase OF the question. said ne.
ono ~ the professors Of the New-York Law
/ cob','l axnressed the greatest surprise at the
| now requirement. "Our graduates nave AWAY
| gone through without question, said ne
have often noticed that clause about reglsualoi
| With the Board OF Regents. but had suppose
! mar all these universities and colleges Were
! registered No call was ever made for a ceruh
! cata 10 that effect before