Evening star., 1895-10-11
IN THE LAW SCHOOLS.
Changes In the Faculiies-Beginning a
New Year.

New Year.
With the first week in October the law
schools of this city begin the years work.
Last week witnessed the opening of all the
schools. the National and Howard on Tues
day night; Georgetown, Wednesday, and
Columbian, Thursday. The opening nights
were marked by large attendances and
considerable enthusiasm, giving indications
of successful years work.
About 300 young men have enrolled them
selves as junior students in the schools
above named within the last few weeks.
This means at the end of three years 800
young lawyers, less the number who have
fallen by the wayside, will be cast upon the
world Whether they will prove valuable
additions to the legal fraternity will de-
pend largely on the men themselves, but
VIII also depend in great measure upon the
nature of the instruction they receive in
the years of student life. 1t was formerly
thought that the only proper way for a
young man to study law was to read in the
office of some established practitioner. But
II Is now generally conceded that in the
majority OF cases 1t is more advantageous
10 take the law school course 1t is sig
n1ficant that the committee on legal educa-
tlon OF the American Bar Association said
IN their report of two or three years since:
ne law schools certainly present the best
side OF legal education in this country
There are sixty odd laws schools in the
country today, with about 475 instructors
ana over 1000 students. OF this number of
schoois ten offer one-year course, over
iorty TWO years course, and about ten
three years course such as is provided by
our local schools
In each of our local schools the members
OF the faculty are kept busy providing in
creased facilities for the increasing number
OF students, making changes in the course
OF study, and in other ways improving the
condition of the school.
several important changes have been
made at Columbian this year, perhaps the
n est important being the Inauguration of
special course in patent law. Major Ben
5amin Butterworth, formerly commissioner
OF patents, will deliver a series of lectures
on the patent statutes and the general
principles of patent law as administered in
the courts and the United States patent
office. He will be assisted by Mr.. Melville
Church of the Washington bar, who will
give practical instruction in pleading and
practice in patent cases, and will conduct
the exercises of the moot court, which will
be especially organized for the trial of pat
This course extends over period of eight
months, and will lead to the degree of
bachelor of patent laws.
Judge Harlan will, this year, deliver his
lectures three times week, instead of once
a week, as formerly, and Judge Bradley
will extend his course on criminal law to
include criminal practice and procedure, the
students using as a text book Clark's Grim
ipal Law.
1t is also announced that the junior class
will be required to attend five nights in
each week, instead of three, as formerly,
thus attending eight hours each week. The
junior class will be examined at the end of
the year upon the whole of the years work,
which has not been done in former years.
The National opens this year with bright
prospects. The attendance is not larger
tran In former years, as each class Is limit
ed to forty members. This limitation is
made necessary by the fact that the system
of teaching pursued in this institution is
system. The instruction, however, is not
Ell tirely confined to the quiz, but is supple
mented by lectures on special topics. A
prominent addition to the corps of instruc-
tors is Judge Thomas H. Alvey. chief JUS
tlce of the Court of Appeals of the District,
who will deliver a course of lectures on
constitutional law. Another noteworthy
addition is that of Judge Charles C. Cole of
the Supreme Court of the District, who will
lecture on statutory law. Judge Coles lee
lures, as likewise all the other exercises in
this school. will be open to the members of
all the classes of the school.
Georgetown begins the year with the
largest attendance in the history of the
school. The faculty will remain as last
year, and no changes of any great import
ance have been made in the course of
study. Mr.. Charles A. Douglas, lectarer on
the law of torts, will be assigned the SUBJ
ject of negotiable paper which has until
this year been in the hands of Prof Dar-
lington.
1t had been expected that Judge Shepard
would select new text book on equity
Jurisprudence, for the use of the senior class,
but he has decided to continue to use
Adams work on that subject.
In the Howard University school Judge
Harlan will deliver lectures on constitution
al law. No other changes have been made.