The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-12-27
LAW AND LAWYERS.
why soms Succeed and Many Fail ip This
Profession.

t'fUtcSStDsh.
Mr.. Richard I,cvereux Iyor!c. prom
inent member OF the Norfolk tIa.l bar,
contributes TO the Southern sa.-az:ne
an artical entitled M, Impressions Of
Law and LAWYERS. which will prove Ing
tcrestiny to laymc1,. as we'll as 20 li;e.1.
bers of the legal profession NJ. Doyle
discnseee. his theme ms. cly.entcr-
tainingly ard with judicial inpaft atty
and cando". lie refer, In the * on
LESSONS az Junior I:alrl<icr. ~ lie
brilliant Richard Labor S,cl. as en-
bo1ying the early experience OF may
hopeful and talented yo1rr .'wycrs.
How many says Mir. Doyte. have
passed through Il sim i1r course, Oh
study and prepare tor: s'ei'h IS grad.
uatinr in the hrmanitic, - well as the
law, bearing away the prize for elocu-
ton and ordtory at some OF oar great
institutions cf iclrai.,@? Hos: mary
have thought thatsrcli tl!cnt,as theirs
were sure to colnman,t early, II not
Immediate, success. ard. alas, how
man. have been disappointed, differ
ing. it may he added. in this respect
from Shiel. who passed safely through
the depressing period Of waiting and
/! probating. which tries the soul OF the
ordinary legal neophyte. and who
won the distinction of which he
had dreamed at the outset. OF his
career. Many of this grand
army of the disappointed fail. Mr..
Doyle thinks. not because they are
/ lacking in genuine talent" which is
frequently OF a high order, but be
cause there are so many other elencnta
THAT should, but do not, enter into the
calculation" of the youthful aspirant.
! Youth. for one thing, SIS too sangulne
and expects too much. Some fail be-
cause of their bad personal habits;
some by intirm health and too hard
study and confinement are stricken
down. like poor Kirk White, when life
is in It's spring Some are not politl:
enough to WOO the world. but hold
proudly aloof, trusting to their talents
and knowledge, while the busy world
goes busting hy without stopping to
look at their CREDENTIALS Some stray
into the pleasant and tlowery paths of
literature and some into the seductive
field of politics. ga literary reputa-
ton" Mr.. Doyle declares, lis. perhaps
more dangerous than a political one
especially if one is given, like Mr..
Wegg, to dropping into poetry. The
age is too practical for a successful
combination of law and litera turc. a
lawyer may and should be cultivated
but he must not be known as litcra-
teur or a poet Nor will it do for the
young lawyer to seek TO make himself
known by going into politics. TO do
so is risky venture for one who in
tends to make law the profession OF u
lifetime, and even reputation for po-
litical oratocy is Of little it any benefit
I to q lawyer. The public soon come to
regard him as politician and may be
willing to vote with him or for him,
but not to give him business.
Turning from the causes of failure
to the qualities important to what IS
ordinarily deemed success, Mr.. Doyle
summarizes them as follows: love of
s the profession and evident desire to get
business, and attention to it when in
hand: industry and the appearance OF
industry and good native sense: with
an aggressive and partisan tcmpcra-
ment. Fluency of speech. cloquencc
of diction and genuine oratorical talent
are useful, but not essential" This par
tisan and aggressive spirit, which is
akin to what Lord Bacon calls bold
ness" Mr.. Doyle considers particu-
larly important element of success.
sMen hire lawyers, as the expression is
among plain people, to attend to their
business and fight their battles, right
or wrong, and the lawyer who goes in
to a case thoroughly imbued with the
clients feelings believing or making
believe that he is certainly right, and
the other party an unmitigated rascal,
is sure to please.
AS to the ethical side of the law, Mr..
!, DOYLE admits that much may be said
pro and con. One of the demoralizing
features of the profession is that "a
lawyer cannot choose his cases" He
is sometimes on the wrong side, the
side of falsehood and injustice, and
when on the wrong side there is al
most irresistible temptation to express
belief in the justice of his cause, and
lawyers too often yield to it, thus
giving some ground for the popular ac-
cusation that lawyers lie for their
d clients After all, whether the claw
lisa noble and eleyating profession
.depands upon the man." There is
nothing in the nature of his profession
4 (which compels a lawyer to be radical.
/ 1t has it's temptations, but SO has every
4 other business. Many hard things
a have been said lawyers, but the ac-
count is nearly balanced by the COM
plimentary things that they have said
i of themselves and of their profession.
4 Sir Edward Coke speaks of '.the glad
some light Of Jurisprudence and "a
lack of self appreciation is not in
4 general one of the defects Of the dis
ciples of the law. They have, how
ever. the consolation Of knowing that
in spite of all the abuseto which they
have been subjected by satirical
writers and poets, they are not only
useful, but essential members of
society. and that those who abuse them
most are generally the very first to
rush to the lawyers to ayenge or pro-
tect4 ss,sem in their llonr of need. -Balti-
y G; Is aaitn at business.
( drops gently and