The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-08

Forty-three fore, Among Them
One Woman Added to the
Bar Yesterday.

Especial to seThe Jersey City News."1
TRENTON, Jurie 8, 1S97.-The work of
making lawyers In New Jersey goes mer-
rily on. Yesterday forty-three names
were added to the list of members Of the
bar of the State. OF this number one
was a woman-Mrs. Annie Irving Keller
of Camden. All received sheepskins
signed by HIS Excellency, John w.
Griggs, authorizing them to practice
the law. There were ~forty-nine appli-
cants for p%archments. but six were found
to be wanting in their knowledge Of
Blackstone and were refused a license.
Only twenty Of the newly made lawyers
have served apprenticeships Of four years
in law offices. The remaining twenty
three came up for examination under
what is known as the five counsellors
act. This act allows a person to take the
examination for attorney upon five coun-
sellers certifying to the particular apt
ness of the applicant, without necessitat-
ing the service of clerking in a lawyers
office.
There were nine attorneys-at-law adj
mitted to practice as councillors.
The examination for admission both as
attorneys and counsellors were conducted
Friday and yesterday. The written ex-
animation for both classes were held on
Friday and the oral examinations were
held yesterday. Candidates for the at
torney license were examined in the As
sembly Chamber and those for COUNSEL
lors were examined in the Speakers
room adjoining.
The successful candidates from Jersey
City were Edward H. Hoos, son and Sec
rotary Of Mayor Hoos; John R. Fl. Potts,
John w. Warnke, Randolph Bedle and
Joseph F. Farmer. edwin A. S. Lewis
of Hoboken was made a counsellor.
Yesterdays addition to the bar brings
the army of New Jersey lawyers UP to
about 2,100. There is a lawyer for every
eight hundred inhabitants. OF the mem
bers at the bar, there are upwards of five
hundred who do not practice, but have
gone into some other business. There are
eight hundred more who do practice
just when and where the records do not
show. And Notwithstanding that We are
well supplied with lawyers, the creation
of new lmbs of the law goes on rapidly
The rate of increase so far this year has
been four lawyers per week.
Counsellors do not multiply SO rapidly
as many who take the attorney examina
ton never become counselfors. The lis
for the former examination has grow
to be about forty each term, while Their,
is rarely a dozen applicants for counsel
lor certificates.
Mrs. Keller. who was admitted yes
terday. makes the third Jersey womal
who can go into court and defend her sis
tiers. Mrs. Keller is a resident of Cam
den. and has the distinction of being TIL
| Arc+ ro-,r- - -. e.. 49,. 80
under the five counsellor act. She mas
tered Blackstone in two years, studyini
with Herbert Drake.
For fifteen years Mrs. Keller has ha
aspirations to become a lawyer, and no,
she can hang out a single and diSpens
advice n Writs with Latin names t
her hearts content-providing, of course
that clients come her way.
Mrs. Keller is the wife of a Camde
newspaper man, r.. Starr Keller. Sh
three ears has studied law in the ofio
of Herbert A. Drake, one of Camden
ablest and best known attorneys. He
father was the late George Rich, ono
a prosperous ape manufactures of A
lantic County. Her mother, also d.
ceased, was a member of the well know
Irving family of that part of New Jel
sey. Her text book education was col
but before she was sixteen years old ST
had won a certificate as a school teache
and for a year was in charge of a scho
in Burlington County. Teaching ws
not to her liking, however. Her fail
er's estate was found to be insolvent
his death. and Miss Rich was throw
upon her own resources. She was equ
to the ordeal of winning her way, ar
soon had mastered s~tenography and bool
keeping, and upto the time of her ma
riage, nine years ago, neld several in
portantt positions with business house
which proved a valuable training for h
in her chosen profession. Her parchmel
!. reads:-"Annie Irving Keeler, Esq"
, h other two women who deal in la
are Miss Mary Philbrook of Jersey Git
and Miss Mary M. Steele OF Somerville.