The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-03-24

tlleSS pelnE legal pllS VI tHo ClNH VI
Roman law and the other of the canon
law. At that time 1t was thought un-
necessary to make provision for i'm
structing in Scots law. In 1905 the
whole body of it was insignificant, In
the long roll of professors there are
many distinguished men, some after
wards lords of sessions. The chair of
canon law died out In the seventeenth
century, and it Is noteworthy that it
was in 1910 that the first professor of
law was appointed who had been edu-
Gated in this country. The teaching till
a much later time was simply that OF
the Roman law, sand from the books
preserved in the old library one may
gather the nature of their studies. The
folios of AZo, Bartolus, Gothofredus and
Cujacius with hosts of the works Of
minor civilians stand there, now almost
unread. After the seventeenth century
the supply of works on Roman law
seems to have fallen off, as if the inter
est in 1t had tagged. Probably the
school then fell considerably in import
ance owing to the opening of law
schools in Edinburgh and Glasgow
These schools were founded shortly af-
ter the union between England and
Scotland and took considerably larger
dimensions than the school at Aber-
deem. Notwithstanding, however, the
foundation of these schools in Scotland,
most of the advocates continued to get
their education abroad. In the later
middle ages France had been the coun-
try they had chiefly frequented, many
Scotchmen remaining there as teach
ers After the Reformation it was the
low ountries-Leyden, Utrecht, and
Groningen-which they chiefly fire.
quented This custom endured to the
end of last century when it fell grad
ually into disuse. 1t cannot be said to
be altogether abandoned yet. Now,
however, when Scotch lawyers go
abroad to study it is usually in Ger
many where the most fiourishing
schools of Roman law are now found.
The abandonment of Latin as the Ian
guage of instruction was fatal to the
Reorganization of the Dutch law schools
by pupils from other countries.
THE Scotch law schools cannot be
said to be well furnished. The best
furnished is Edinburgh with seven
teachers; the next is Glasgow, with five,
and then comes Aberdeen, with three.
The teaching is not supplemented to
any considerable extent by teaching
outside os the universities-the only
place where that is attempted being
Glasgow, where a somewhat ambitious
attempt has been made. In st. Mum
COS college there-which is a private
school not entitled to grant degrees
there are some twelve teachers, and
they furnish a better program than any
of the universities.
What is most wanted in Scotland in
legal education is, firstly, a higher stan
dard for general knowledge, and, sec
ondly. a higher standard for law; but
as long as the present apprentIceshlps
are kept at their great length, it seems
| impossible to expect that young men
can find the time necessary for study.
If five years of a young mans life is to
be taken up in doing good work, most
of which could be done by a typewriter,
it is impossible that he can give time
either to general or legal education.
Probably 1t is too much to expect that
Scotland will follow the example of
America and abolish apprenticeship,
almost entirely, but certainly very
considerable reduction in their length
would be a practical reform of great
| advantage. Unless the period for study
can be extended, nothing except an in
crease Of cram can be expected from
raising the standard of examination.
Greater development of the schools is
wanted, but at present there is no room
for it. The annual number of students
who enter for training for the bar is
not more than from a dozen to a score.
The bulk OF the students at all the
three Scottish schools are training for
solicitors, and they have hardly time
even for the present classes. If they
could devote more time to the law
school, subjects could be divided and
added to, till q really good curriculum
could be supplied"