The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-04-03
Ethical Code
For Lawyers
MOVE no RAISE THE PRoFEs.
sloNAL STANDARD.
Draft Of Seventy canons Fnrruiatea
4 BY the Committee Of the Ameri.
!. can Bar Association.

:
WASHINGTON April s-The mrs
step In the movement e.
establlsh and TO maintain highes
ethical standard In the legal profesi
sion was taken to-day by the commit
tee on code of professional ethics OF
the American Bar Association. In SEES
sion here. The committee has for
Hulated preliminary draft Of about
10 scanons Of professional ethics: These
eaTnns relate TO the duties OF the law
yer In his relation TO the public. to
the profession. the judiciary, to eli!
ents and to each other.
The proposed code OF professional
ethics will. be sent to each member or
the American Bar Association and to
the respective State bar associate
committees. requesting suggestions
and criticisms of the committees
work. After receiving such sugges;
tons and criticisms as may be made.
the committee will again meet to pre.
pare lis 1nnl report for presentation
OF the next annual meeting 6f the
American Bar Association. which
takes place at Seattle. Wash. In
August with the Recommendation that
It be adopted. s
1t was decided to emhndy In the first
group Of clnons The general duties Of
the lawyer. rs set forth in the. onth
administered on admission. to the bar
In a number of the States. as therein
required by legislative provisions, no
tably In Washington. Alabama. Call
fornIa, Idaho. Indiana. Iowa. Georgia.
Minnesota, North and South Dakota.
Nebraska and Wisconsin.
The work Of the committee repre-
sents three years of careful delibera-
ton. In framing the proposed canons
the committee approved the sugges-
ton of Mr.. Justice David ]. Brewer.
of the United States Supreme Court.
That the subject be divided into two
heads. Us follows:
Zone. the preparation IT body of
rules TO be given operative and bind.
Ing force by legislation or the action
OF the highest courts OF the States
assuming that those courts have. as
doubtless they have In some State,
the power TO make and enforce such
rules. These rules should be few In
number. clear and precise in their pro-
visions. SO that there can be no ex-
cusn for their yfoIatfon st.-t
THE other. the preparation OF can
ons of ethics which shall discuss the
duties of lawyers under the various
conditions OF professional action"
Continuing. Mr.. Brewer says: y
This will open a wide field for dis
cussion. and the temptation will be
to cover too much ground. Yet there
must be no mistake nor uncertainty
In the statement OF the ethical con-
siderations which should ever control
the action OF the profession. The bar
will lose Its place unless 1t Is leader
not merely in brain strength. but also
In moral power. The world is ever
demanding better and better men as
It's leaders. We cannot afford to turn
backward. but must ever look forward
and upward
Among the members OF the commit:
tee In attendance were Henry ST.
George Tucker. Virginia: Justice Da-
vid ]. Brewer. Judge Alton B. Parker
New York: Frederick ". Brown. Min.
nesota: ]. NJ. Dickinson. Illinois:
Thomas Fl. Hubbard. New York: Judge
Thomas Good Jones. Alabafn; George
r. Peck. Illinois; Francis Lsnde stet-
son. New York. and Ezra r. Thayer
Massachusetts.