The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-05
STATE BAR
ASSOCIATION,
MARTINSBURG.
Raising the Standard Of aualifca-
tion for Admission to the
Bar,
OTHER REFORMS DISCUSSED.
Able Papers on Various Subjects Of
Interest to the Legal Pro-

Special Dispatch to the IntellIgencer
MARTINsBURG, w. Va. Jan. A.
The West Virginia Bar Association be-
gan It's annual meeting here to-day.
The principal feature Of the morning
session was the annual address of the
president. Wesley Mollohan. Of Char
lesion. whose subject was This
Association; It's Work, Past and
Prospective" He paid high
tribute to the profession in
general, and Congratulated the associ-
alton on the enactment by the legisla-
ture of 1897 of a law regulating admis-
sIons to the bar, which It accomplish
ed. The old law admitted, he says, Of
the free and unlimited coinage of attor-
neys-at-law regardless Of any ratio Of
learning whatever. or Of the many
standards thereof. He pointed out
some OF the defects OF the law hazarded
its existence and said it's provision
should be extended to include those OBJ
taInlng licenses in other states of less
requirements, with the intention of
practlclng in the state. He said that
Mt many of the bars Of the state there
were numbers. who, on account Of their
character and practice, ought to have
no place in the profession; and he sug-
gested. as an effective way to eliminate
all such classes from the profession,
that the association require Its mern-
bers to form local bar associations,
whose duties 1t should be to investl-
gate all complaints Of misconduct on
the part of attorneys and take proper
action thereto. He criticized the incon-
siderate and hasty manner In which In
functions are granted and receivers
appointed by some judges Of the circuit,
and said that II at all possible. no or
der of any sort ought ever to be made
eHectlng the rights or properties of
the citizens without giving them an op-
portunlty to appear and present rea-
sons against 1t. He also said that in
sufficient time was given by the state
court of appeals to arguments.
The address was well received. The
committee on grievances reported six
causes Of complaint, bringing such
suits on claims without merit, to OBJ
tain a compromise; practice OF attor-
neys of acquiring an interested subject
matter OF litigation: promotion Of It'll
cations; loose requirements Of admIs-
sion to the bar; the condition OF the
state library and the defective binding
and editing OF the accounts OF the leg
islature and supreme court reports.
The committee on judicial le-
gal reform recommended changes
in the law respecting appeals
from justices. that trial judges In
struct the jurles on ali the questions in
volved, and that records of appeal cases
be limited to the essential matter.
AS the result OF the report of the
committee on legal education, resolu-
tlons were adopted, asking aSrule by
the supreme court extending the law Of
admissions to the bar to those who OBJ
tain license in other states. and recon-
mending law by the legislature re-
qulring as a qualification to the gem
ernl practice in this state of a non-res-
ident attorney two years practice in the
state.
Judge Daniel B. Lucas, chairman Of
the committee on legal biography, read
a lengthy and interesting sketch OF the
late Judge Thomas c, Green. of Charles
Town, who was for many years part Of |
the state supreme court.
John W. Davis read a paper on 1.-THE
Causes of Crude Legislation" and sug-
gested numerous remedies.
Forest W. Brown, of Charles Town.
read paper on '"The Judiciary and Its
Compensation" in which he euloslzed
the work of the bench and made a
strong plea for larger salaries for the
judges.