The Opelousas courier., 1897-10-16
The Legal Profession.

If there is one distinguishing feature
among members of the legal profession
standing boldly out from ail others, i
Is the high character emitting the mem
bers to confidence and respect.
Great and acute intelligence is lOokee
for and expected of attorneys. They
are presumed to have qualified them
selves to adiudge correctly such ques
| tons of legal right and wrong rs arise
| in the cOure of business transactions
and their duty has always been to hoIC
themselves in readues and prepared tl
| give such advice and professional as
sistance as they are called upoD for
! They are viewed as officers Of the
Courts, at the bars of which they prac.
tice, aud if they would observe the
amenities Of their profession ann prop
erly support the dignity winch t,fir inn
| perfected Learning is snprose4fmto EN-
title them to, they would ntler no
circumstances so far forget tIeilsrlves
| rs to be guilty of conduct conceded by
! the profession as to he unworty,bf il.
From the earliest history OF l., we see
that it was consjdered more as an hon
Ordry, than as a lucrative calling; and
| demanding no remuneration, lawyers
d,Cdited the offered compensation, which
clients saw proper to make.
The hOnOrarium paid to attorneys was
purely voluntarily, and to day, it is the
practice in England for Sergeants to
receive briefs and fees f,om attorneys
who have prepared them, and they arc
never expected to run round after
them. II the fee offered be too small. it
is not accepted, but we have never
heard of an instance of his soliciting /,
case or Il fee. What lie gets is ten
dered him, and this he awaits with pro-
fessiOnal dignity and self respect. Such
should be the practice everywhere.
Is it9
Complaints are frequently heard Of
lawers who depart widely from il, and
not satisfied to go out and solicit cases,
go further and arGiuousiy and persist
emily endeayur to procure employment
where another, or even others, have al
ready been retained. Now, we think
such conduct is decidedly unbecOming
whoever may be guilty of it.
The profession has ever been distin
gnished by the .traterndl feeling existing
among its members, but such conduct
on the part Of lawyers, if persisted in,
must canse a forfeiture of that feeling,
and lead to personal enmtes.
No lawyer has the right to endeavor
to build the temple of his professional
tame hy HliiHinE ltlt teUftS, ana seat
tered materials which he may gather
up from The wrecks of the fortunes of
others. and whose downfall he has
sought by siisparaeing methods.
1t can hardly lie presumed that an
injured lawyer never hears who has
done the discepntahie work.
That lawyer who ventures to dec,y
the professional standing OF his brother,
to one of his clients, must expect to
have it told on him.
The public will always Judge at the
qualifications Of lawyers, anh whether
correctly Or Incorrectly, will act on
their own estimate of them.
We think lawyer wastes his time,
besides acting unwurthiIy, whenever he
undertakes to Danish his brother law
yer, whose standing is fair and as much
respected as his own. He may fancy
himself eloquent, but should bear in
mind that learning is superior. He
may tlatter himself that he has great in
Huence, but this often springs from il
lusions inspired by vanity having no
foundation, in fact. Success in prac-
tice is the best evidence of legal ability,
and is the only proof of real merit, hav-
ing any wei igbt in IL community.
Members of the bar should be pru-
dent in their portrayal OF each other, or
they must fail to deserve the admira-
tion they court. and realize the pleas
ures they might derive from psofes-
SlOnal associations.