The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-20
BAR REFORM.
Hudson County Lawyers
Draft a Bill to Raise
Standard Of Admission.

The Executive Committee of the Hudson
County Bar Association has for some time
endeavored to reform the present system
of admitting men to the Bar blythe raising
of the standard. Every time an attempt
has been made to repeal the Dunn act
lawyers who were politicians and polite
ians who were lawyers opposed it. Moth
ing discouraged by the defeat of the
Dunn Act Repeater two weeks ago. in
the House of the Assembly, the Execu-
tive Committee Of the Hudson Bar Assoc
ciation has resolved to make another
move and to that end sent to the following
letter to Senator Mahlon Pitney:-
Jersey City, March II, 1899.
"Mahlon Pitney. Esq, Senate Chamber,
Dear SlrIThe Executive Committee of
the Bar Association of Hudson County re-
quests you to introduce in the Senate the
enclosed bill, entitled An act 70 proVlsae
for an investigation and report upon the
best methods for ascertalnlng the qualln-
cations of candidates for admission 10 the
Bar of this State.
THE bill, as you will see, proposes a step
toward raising the standard OF the par.
Before enacting a definite plan for this
purpose, several questions arise Whlcn, II
seems to US, deserve investigation. What
are the respective methods which have
been adopted in New York and other
States to the same end, and how have they
worked? Would it be practicable to use
the existing machinery of public educa-
tional qualifications? If not, would 1t
be better to constitute a single State
board or several county boards OF ex-
aminers to conduct such examinations?
I'VE think that information upon THESE
points, among Others should be obtained
and submitted to the Legislature with
view to further legislation upon this I'M
portant subject; and this bill, is passed,
would we venture to think, aHoro an
effective and expensive means OF sup
plying that information.
Yours truly, "
.CHAS. H. HARTSHORNE,
&c. C. BLACK,
&c. L. CARRICK,
..W B. WILLIAMS, II
lotto GROUSE,
Executive Committee of Hudson County
Bar Association.
An act to provide for an investigation
and report upon the best methods for as
certaining the qualifications OF canal
dates for admission TO lne par II tAls
State.
Be it enacted by the Senate and Gen
eral Assembly of the State OF New Jer-
sey.-
i. This act may be referred to as the
Attorneys Qualification Act, 1Ss9''
2. The Supreme Court, at the June term,
1885, shall appoint commission OF com
petent persons to investigate ana report
upon the best methods of securing ade-
quate educational qualifications, both gem
eral and professional, in candidates Tor
admission to the bar
g. The Commission shall make It's report
to the Court in November, 1899. The re-
port shall be printed and made pubic as
the Court may direct, and shall De trans
mitted by the Court to the Legislature
at the session of 1900 with such recon-
mendations as the Court may deem proper
to make.
The number of the Commissioners shall
be fixed by the Court They shall receive
mo compensation but shall be paid their
Expenses, including reasonable clerk
hire, incurred in executing their eomm-s-
sion when their statement of those ex-
penses shall have been approved by the
Chief Justice. The sum so approved shalt
be forthwith paid from the State treasury
out of any money not otherwise then
appropriated.
5. This act shall take effect Immediately