The San Francisco call., 1909-04-20
Mining LAW IS
BIG FEATURE OF
LOCAL PRACTICE
Celebrated Cases Have Demon
strated Ability of Local
= BarristerS
Legal Professors Leaders
Prominent in Varied Civic
Activities


I } RILLIANCE erudition and con-
n spicuous success have character
l. lied the members Of the bench
and bar OF san Francisco from the
earliest times. During its half cen
tury Of existence the city Of san Fran
cisco has passed through litigation
that has attracted the attention Of the
whole country. Famous mining suits.
bitterly fought VIII contests. railroad
Controversies and criminal cases of alb
sorbing interest have been tried in
.his city. ia ali these cases. the at
torneys who have been trained in
their profession right at home and who
have fought their way TO the top have
been ranged on both sides. Their
handling Of difficult cases has won
taem the admiration and applause Of
aIl who have studied their work; their
success mas been bounteously re-
warded.
There are fruitful and seemingly
never ending sources Of litigation in
This state in mining disputes, land
settlements and other matters which
need adjudication Ia country so COM
.parativeIy new as California is. Nat
. urally. lawyers are required who are
familiar with mining law and land
Jaw. 20 cite no other branches Of legal
I knowledge. They must know more
\ than the law OF these two big sub
iects They must understand the busi-
ness ~ mining in all its mechanical
conplexity and they must know the
geography and the early history Of
the state.
The lawyers Of san Francisco have
applied themrelves assiduously to these
studies and their complete mastery Of
All their difficulties IS proved by the
able manner in which they present
cases wherein the greatest refnements
Of technical knowledge must be put
before judge and jury in the simplest
manner possible.
san Francisco's lawyers have made
more than purely local fame. They
have argued cases with gratifying
success in Kew York and other eastern
states. before the supreme court of the
United States and before the legal tri-
bunals Of the Old World. Their abili-
ties have been recognized by signal
promotions Attorneys Of San Fran
cisco have been called to the greatest
legal tribunal in the world, the United
states supreme court. TO the inter-
state commerce commission. to the fed
eral bench and to the legal department
Of the secretary Of state and other
cabinet departments. Wherever they
have gone. they have succeeded with
that brilliancy of achievement Of
which they gave copious promise
while they stiu practiced law in San
Francisco.
To be a good lawyer is to achieve
q great deal Il means years of prep
aration by unremitting diligence,
slavelike application and stubborn
burning Of the midnight oil It means
that the student must steep his mind
Jn al the lore Of the world, that he
must interest himself IN all the activ-
] ties Of all men and must study men
themselves. To be a great lawyer is
given only 10 a few. That requires
genius and a legal bent Of mind which
Classics all men and al their doings
and omissions as so many cases to be
studied pro and con, argued, defended,
prosecuted. To the great lawyer all
the world is a law court; every human
event is cause Of action; and he him
self is Judge. jury, plaintiff, defendant
and counsel for both sides. This habit
of mind prepares the ,srest lawyer for
every conceivable emergency of human
eccentricity. SO that he Is never taken
bl surprise. is always in calm posses
sion of his faculties and never falters
or hesitates in his determination of
puzzling point
California-snd IN particular San
Francisco-has its quota OF good law
vers: il also has its great lawyers. It
is proud Of both classes. 1t is willing
10 offer them IN comparison with the
good lawyers and the great lawyers
of any other state, any other city. It
realizes. perfectly that il will not suffer
By the comparison
san Francisco has a romantic his
tory. It's annals contain more Of ex-
citement. daring adventures and tan
.eled intrigue than a swashbuckling
rovel The lawyers OF the past fig
aired prominently in all the romantic
0nisodes Of the city's early years.
The LAWYERS Of the present are
,,roninent in the city's doings after
another fashion; the more sober and
more prosaic fashion OF the twentieth
century. They are to the fore IN poll
tics fn philanthropy. IN every project
looking TO the betterment of the city
aud.-jts inhabitants In the trying
dafA fter the disaster Of three years
ago when the city needed the unself-
Ssh. the sacrificing service OF every
>s+ronz and able man within its con-
fines. the lawyers came forward, will
ing to serve and able, through their
training and their experience, TO yield
II 1rrfF