The morning times., 1895-09-29

grew the association of to-day with its
nearly 200 members and handsome and
useful library of upwards of 900 volumes
Two large communicating rooms on the
upper floor of the City Hall building have
been consecrated to tie association. No
rental is charged for these because the ju-
dietary is given the free use of the rooms
and the library.
The articles of Incorporation of the or
ganizatlon provided for its government
by a board of governors, with whom the
officers of the association shall sit as
ex-officlo members. The officers at pres
ent are representative lawyers, to whom
the District is proud to point. They are:
Mr.. Nathaniel Wilson, president; Mr.. Henry
E. Davis, first vice president; Mr.. Samuel
Maddox, second vice president; Mr.. Blair
Lee, secretary; and Mr.. Charles H. Cragin,
treasurer. Messrs. Samuel R. Bond, Job
Barnard, Andrew B. Duvall, Randall Hag-
ner and william A. McKenney, together
with the president, secretary and treasurer
above mentioned, constitute the board Of
governors now in power. Mr.. Kennon
Peter is the efficient librarian.
The objects of the association are "to
maintain the honor aud dignity of the
pTOIeSSlOH Ol law anu lHCItdst usG-
fulness' in promoting the due administra-
ton of justice; the mutual Improvement
of its members, and to acquire and main
tain q law library for the use and refer
ence of the members of the association"
How well 1t has lived up to its undertaking
the organization and its membership them
selves show.
1t is hardly as easy to become men,
planned of be proven, the association VIII
present the person to the supreme court of
the District of Columbia and prosecute the
matter before the court. A committee is also
appointed to look after proposed changes
in the laws affecting the District and
report to the association, with the sug-
gestion OF such action as may be deemed
expedient.
When the association was founded it
was the intention to introduce social fea-
ture into its composition, but that design
| has never been carried into effect, save
upon one occasion annually. That is the
| yearly excursion in the spring of the year
when the legal luminaries, both great and
small, go to Marshall Hall for plank shad
| dinner
The rooms at the city hall often during
| the sessions of the courts present the scene
| of activity, but it is of the beehive variety,
| and little convivality is seen among the
| freQuenters of the place. 1t would be
| difficult to point to one attorney from
among others who stays much in the library
When an attorney has an unusually in
| teresting case on hand he may be Seen
| weeks prior to the hearing poring over
| the volumes in the library BE drops
| them entirely for the next lawyer when
| he is through.
| ber of the association as 1t is to descend
| from the top of a creased pole. In the
first place an applicant must be lawyer
and then he must know three members who
will propose his name to the association.
The board of governors must next decide
| by q three-fourths vote to receive him
Then 1T comes to paying the price of ad
| mission. If the candidate has practiced
law for five years or more he must pay
| S25 initiation fee and an annual tribute
| of $50.
THE STANDING COMMITTEE.
| Young lawyers are looked upon with
| encouragement, and a knowledge that OF
all professions that of the lawyer is one In
which the starving period is the hardest
and the bill steepest and stoniest. The
young man who has not yet practiced a
| quintette of years and who has all of the
other attributes, may enter the association
| for half the price that 1t costs bis senior.
| Until he shall havo practiced for five year,
bis annual dues are only $40. too.
One of ehe most important features OF
the work ~ the organization Is lodged ir