The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-01
BETTER LAWS
Many Important Subjects Be-
fore the American Bar As.
ISOLATION at st. Paul.

Many important matters will be
brough hit before the meeting of the
American Bar association at st. Paul
through the reports of its standing
committees. These reports, which
have been prepared in printed form
and distributed among the members,
cover insurance. professional ethics,
commercial law, patent, trade mark
and copyright law, penal laws and
priosn discipline, and International
law.
Two reports have been submitted by
the insurance committee. The major
ity favors federal supervision. while a
forceful minority report holds that in
surance is not interstate commerce.
There is every prospect for an inter-
esttng discussion when these diver
gent reports are presented.
The drafting of a written code of
legal ethics Is recommended by the
ethics committee, which takes the
ground that the time when all lawyers
were familiar with the unwritten law
of the profession Is passing. This re-
port urges particularly that such a
code be enacted for the protection of
young practitioners who are frequent
ly drawn into questionable practices
through their ignorance of profession
al ethics. When it comes to the ques-
ton of the "shyster" lawyer, the re-
port is singing in its denunciatiOn.
Cannot BE Blind.
I'VE cannot be blind" says the re-
port, Ito the fact that however high
may be the motives of some, the trend
of many is away from the ideals of the
past, and the tendency more and more
to reduce our high calling to the level
of a trade, to mere means of liveli-
hood or Of personal aggrandizement.
With the influx of increasing numbers
who seek admission to the bar mainly
for its emoluments come new and
changed conditions.
Once possible ostracism by profess
sional brethren was sufficient to keep
from serious error the practitioner
with no fixed ideals of ethicals con-
duct: but now the shyster, the barra-
trously inclined, the ambulance chas-
err, the member of the bar with sys-
TEN of runners, pursue their nefarious
methods with no check save the rope
of sound moral suasion so long as
they stop short of actual fraud and
violate no criminal law.
These men believe themselves i'm
mune; the good or bad esteem of their
co-laborers is nothing to them pro-
vided their itching fingers are not
thereby styed in their eager quest for
lucre.
Enemies of Republic.
Much as we regret to acknowledge
it. we know that such men are in our
midst. Never having realized or
grasped that indefinable ethical some-
thing which is the soul and spirit of
law and justice, they not only lower
the morale within the profession, but
debase our high calling in the eyes
of the public. They hamper the ad-
ministration and even at times subvert
the ends of justice. Such men are ene-
mics of the republic; not true minis
tiers of her courts of justice robed in
the priestly garments of truth, honor
and integrity. All such are unworthy
of place upon the rolls of the great
and noble profession of the law.
Good behavior should not be a
vague. meaningless or shadowy term
devoid of practical application save in
fragrant cases. 1t should be defined
and measured by such ethical STAN
dards, however high, as are necessary
to keep the administration of justice
pure and unsullied.
1T therefore becomes our plain and
simple duty, our patriotic duty, to use
our influence in every legitimate way
to help make the American bar what
it ought to be. A code of ethics
adopted after due deliberation by the
American Bar association is one met
hod in furtherance of this end"
To Register Criminals.
A national bureau for the registra-
tion of criminals is one of the recon-
mendations of the committee on penal
laws. The commercial law committee
reports few minor suggestions for
reforms in the bankruptcy law.
Agitation for court of patent ap-
peals is recommended to the associa-
ton by it's committee on patent law.
AS it was through the efforts of the
American Bar association that the
United States circuit court of appeals
was established, any such decision
would have great significance.