Evening star., 1896-01-11


N&S4Skf4HNrfN- the court there to
I&&JtHNNf7Xn prosecute the profess
t1flI4WE EW sion which Black
MA&sb lHWHPB stone Kent, Mar
tN\EEG shall and other intel
lecluaI giants have graced and adorned
They imagine. perhaps. that the graduates
diploma makes him full-fedged practi-
tionec. All that is, however. a very great
mistake. While the diploma accorded is
given a certain amount of value, the courts
of the District demand something more
than that
They say that before one shall be admit
ted to practice before them Che Court Of
Appeals and the Supreme Court of the Dis
trict) the applicant must be member of the
bar of the United States Supreme Court or
of the highest court of one of the states or
territories. Either that, or he must have
passed a successful examination before the
examining committee of the District Su-
preme Court. So, it Is seen, the diploma of
law school, however great the school
may be- does not, in itself, admit its proud
recipient to practice in the courts of the
District.
In Order to BE Admitted.
Suppose young man, or, indeed, young
woman. for both men and women are eli
gble to practice before the District courts,
who holds a diploma from a law school,
wishes to be admitted to practice before the
District Supreme Court, he will learn in re-
sponse to his inquiry that he must apply for
such admission to the Court in General
Term. He will learn. further, that appli-
cantS for admission, who have been admit
ted to practice law in the Supreme Court
of the United States, or in the highest court
or territory, may, upon satisfactory evil
dence of good moral character, and after eX-
animation as to fitness, or, in the discretion
of the court, without such eXamina tion be
admitted to the bar, provided the members
of the bar of the District Supreme Court are
admitted to the bar of the highest court of
such state or territory upon the same terms.
He will also be informed that no student is
admitted until after such examination and
proof of good moral character and not un-
til he has studied at least three years under
the direction of some competent attorney.
1t will be explained to him that diligent
study in any law school shall, to the extent
thereof, be computed as part of said three
years study.
Upon being so informed the student files
with the clerk of the court a written ap-
plication. under oath or affirmat ton. stat
ing his name, age, residence, with what
attorney he has studied law, or in what
law school. when and for what length Of
time he has so studied and what books
he has read. accompanied by a certificate
of some member of the bar of the District
Supreme Court or other evidence satisfac-
torily showing the good moral character
and fitness of the applicant Where study
ney-at-law, in this jurisdiction or else
where, such fact must appear by certificate
from such attorney.
The Examining Committee.
The applicable accompanied by a fee of
81 for necessary expenses, filed, it is re-
ferred to the examining committee Of the
court for it's action. The members Of this
committee are, of course, members of the
bar of the District Supreme Court. Until
recently a new committee was appointed
every year. but so satisfactorily have the
present committee Messrs. F. H. Mackey,
Chas. H. Cragin, A. \. IIpscomb Leon
Tobriner and Thos. NJ. Fields) performed
their delicate and arduous duties that al
though appointed three years ago the court
has repeatedly refused to accept their res
ignations, although earnestly pressed to so
do by the members of the committee.
1t is usual to hold two examinations each
year. in June and October due published
notice of which is given. Before the day
of. the examination the applica lions are
passed upon, and those applicants found
qualified and entitled to take the examina-
tion are notified to attend. Until the le-
moval of the civil service commission from
the city hall TO their present quarters Sth
and r streets, the examinations were held
in q room at the city hall, but since they
have been held in the rooms of the commits
Ordeal of Examination.
The examination is written one, each
applicant being given a printed list of
thirty questions, to which answers must be
written within a reasonable length of time:
The thirty questions cover five different
br anches of law, six questions usually he
ing given to each branch or division of
subjects. These subjects are real estate
contracts, equity, evidence and pleading.
Each member of the examining committee
has charge of or supervision over par
ticular subject, and passes upon the an
swers to his own set of questions, deter
mining the percentage of accuracy made
by the applicants in answering them. No
applicant is rated as successful who scores
less than 20 out of a possible 100 points
and the standing of the applicant is final
ly determined by adding together the per-
centage attained by him in the five respec-
tive sets of questions. That is, a certain
number of points are allowed each set and
they are made up wholly irrespective of
one another.
Upon the final comparison all applicants
obtaining 10 per cent or over are recon-
mended by the examining committee to the
Court in General Term for admission to
the bar of the District Supreme Court.
The court directs, of course, that the slc-
cessful applicants be admitted, the motion
to admit being made by member of the
examining committee. The court requires
all applicants to take the following oath:
II, - -, do SOlemnly swear Cor
afirm) that I win demean myself as an
attorney and counsellor of this court up
rightly and according to law, and that I
will support the Constitution of the United
states. So help me God" Not all those
admitted to the bar, indeed, very few of
them, ask for a certificate of admission,
but the clerk of the court furnishes them,
if desired, charging fee of 81 each there
for.
Failed Four Times.
While precisely the same questions are
not propounded by the committee at each
examina ton, yet their general character
and scope vary but slightly. Any student
who properly attends to his studies, the ex-
perience of the examining committee shows,
las little, If any, real difficulty in passing
the examination. About 10 per cent of
those examined fail to pass, but they are
allowed to take another examination as
often as they see fit. 1t ie Rid one appli-