Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-04
SINISTER LAWYERS AND REFORM
"Maryland, My Maryland" starts an
Innovation.
st. Louis Republic.

st. Louis Republic.
Protest in Baltimore against the common
or garden variety of shyster lawyer in
general and the particular species known as
ambulance chaser has taken the form of
a proposed measure entitled the Pratt
shyster lawyer bill, which is just now the
subject of considerable discussion. Its pro-
visions arc interesting:
Whoever, for his own gain. and having
no existing relationship or interest in the
issue, directly or indirectly, soiclts an
other to sue at law or in equity, or to
make litigious claim, or to retain his own
or another's services in so suing or making
litigious claim; or whoever, being an at
torney at law, knowingly prosecutes a case
In which his services have been retained
as a result of such solicitation; or who
ever, being an attorney at law. directly
or indirectly, agrees to procure another
to be employed as an expert witness, or
otherwise. or procures another to be so
employed in consideration of his so So
Letting litigious business or undertaking
90 solicit It, or in any other way compen-
safes or agrees to compensate another for
so doing, shall, upon conviction thereof, be
punished by fine of not more than $500
or by Imprisonment in Jail for not more
than three months, or by both. Any So
licitation as aforesaid shall be prima facie
evidence that the person so soliciting is
doing so for gain. The term attorney at
law shall include counselor at law; pro-
vided. that nothing herein contained shall
impair or affect the disciplinary powers of
the courts of this state over attorneys and
counselors at law appearing and practicing
in the same"
1t is observed that this measure, how
aver dra ct frnnoses No m ri shin unOr the
lawyer who does not solicit; its aim being
to reach the flourishng shysters who main
tain ambulance chasers and make a bust
ness of drilling perjurers. That there are
such fiourishing shysters in every big city,
| including St. Louis. is incontestable. The
bench and the bar know them. And that
| the shyster business of this and every
other class ought to be practically checked
is a conviction of the profession generally.
! 1t is worth noticing that the business OF
ambulance chasing is not confined solely
| to lawyers who seek the plaintiffs side OF
the contention against corporations The
corporations themselves have been known
| to be. guilty Of employing shrewd claim
| agents who do the same kind of dirty
| work."
| "A wedding out of shysters generally and
the enactment of laws dealing with the
more fragrant kinds of shysters would be
an important reform in line with the better
tendencies of the day, but If such a re-
form is accomplished honest lawyers must
| first overcome their reluctance to making
an issue against their corrupt brethren
The complaint is constantly in the mouths
OF honest lawyers against the jaeklegs, but
none of the good men appears willing to
cast the first stone. Clean men should
undertake to clean out their honorable pro-
fession, to disbar and to prosecute the ras-
Gals and carry forward crusade fol-
higher standards. They should either dem
onstrate the courage of their convictions
or they should cease the very common pro.
test against the degradation of their calling