The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-08
BY NATHANIEL C. FOWLER JR

Copyright, 1903, by Nathaniel Z. FoW-
Ter Jr.)
Because more than half Of our states
| men and other public characters have
practiced or are practicing at the bar,
and because the attorney at-law, or
| lawyer, as he is commonly called, is
supposed to be intimately associated
with prominence, the legal profession
has been looked upon by many as the
| leader of all professions, and as Of
| fering the best opportunity for politi-
| cal and other fame.
Certainly the successful lawyer Is
recognized and respected everywhere,
and no doubt his calling offers to him
| the best chance for general advance
ment along almost every line Of public
| conspicuousness, local or broader emf
| ncnce, and officeholding honor.
But the law in itself does not and
| cannot make the man; nor can it of
/ itself alone keep the man in the public
| eye, or be of any intrinsic benefit to
| him.
1t is the man behind the law which
| makes the man.
Law and the man himself may Gre
| ate distinction.
Law without the man produces moth
| ing.
| A man without the legal profession
| may not have as easy way to dis
! tinction. The mediocre lawyer is not
| respected; he ranks low, is looked
| down upon, perhaps despised, and his
! profession, high and honorable though
| 1t be, offers to him no opportunity for
more than subordinate advancement.
The great lawyer would be a great
man in almost any, other calling; he
| is great, anyway, fundamentally great,
| great in himself. The law simply
makes it easier for him to realize his
| greatness, but the law does not make
| him great; it helps the right kind OF
| man to help himself, and in some d.
rections undoubtedly renders more eff
| cient assistance than does any other
method of livelihood earning.
The numerous law schools are turn
| ing out lawyers with almost incubator
| swiftness.
The law school does not and cannot
| diagnose or discriminate; it cannot go
| further than to require written or
oral examination; and, IL the candi-
| date passes the examination by cor
rectly answering technical questions
under the law, he has right to prac-
tice law.
But a knowledge of law does not
| make a lawyer. Unless with legal
! knowledge is the ability to use that
knowledge, there is no proficiency
worth having, nor Of any value, either
| to it's possessor or those he comes i'll
| contact with.
knowledge stored in mind incapa-
| BILE Of distributing it Is simply so
much unmarketable junk, hardly worth
| its storage room.
Too Many Lawyers.
1t has been said derisively that there
IS lawyer for every case This is,
of course, an exaggeration; but it is
| fact, nevertheless, that the supply Of
lawyers very much exceeds the de-
mand, and that Is per cent Of the law
>yers could be easily excused from
practice.
! There is room, and plenty of room,
| at the top. The top never has been
and never will be crowded in law, or
| in anything else. There Is room, and
much room, a few steps from the top,
! and so far the upper rounds have not
| been fully filled. But reaching the top,
| or near to the top, with the super
abundance Of judicial minds now upon
! the market-successfu meeting this
| terrific cOmpetftion-is almost as diff
! cult as shoveling water up hill.
The lawyer at the top is at the very
apex of eminence; the lawyer near the
| top occupies an exalted position; the
| lawyer at the middle of the ladder is
/ a man of success and Of prominence;
| the lawyer at the bottom, If he stays
| there, is the laughing stock of his
| friends, If he has any, is recognized
| nowhere, and amounts to pretty close
| to nothing
There is no other profession which
offers so much and so little in the way
Of prominence and fame.
There is no easy road to legal emf
nence; the goal cannot be reached by
series of jumps; it is hard work at
the start, and hard work all the time;
! 1T is work, work, work, and grind
grind, grind, often overwork and many
law student falls by the wayside
| and never pulls himself together again.
| The graduate of the law school, even
| If loaded with ability, will travel up
hill for year, and probably for two
| years, very likely for three years. and
| maybe for several years.
Unless the young lawyer occupies
| high social position md enjoys the
| close friendship ar confidence of
many leading business men and capt.
| taliSts, he may not be Self-supporting
| inside of five years, If he be located in
a large city, and it may take him from
| two to three or more years to earn his
| living in a country center.
| The maximum annual income Of our
| greatest lawyers probably does not ex-
| coed 100000, and comparatively few
| eminent attorneys earn more than $685.
| 600 year.
What They Earn.
The average income of a well estab-
| Hshed, large city lawyer is probably
not more than $4,000 a year, although
| quite number annually receive from
1 $1,000 to $4,000.
The maximum income of leading
| country center attorney probably does
| not exceed $4,000 a year, few, and
very few, earning twice this amount,
and very limited number may ex-
coed 1t if they have metropolitan con-
/ nect1on, or have occupied some high
! government position.
The lawyer in the small country
| town seldom receives from his practice
| more than 500 or $500 a year which
| amount, with economy, is sufficient to
| comfortably maintain him.
1t has been said that fully one-uuar-
| ter of the lawyers in the great cities do
not have, and probably never will have.
/ practice at all, they must have some
| outside income.
| Where one lawyer gains fame and
| fortune ninety-nine are not much more
| than self-supporting, and comparative
| ly few get beyond a moderate compe-
| tency.
The legal profession Is divided into
| several sections classes or branches:
I The regular practitioner who is ia
4 To- In IL.