Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-27

indicted
trial for embezzlement At the beginning of the trial
was convinced that he was a guilty man; but the
examination of Of my witnesses by the de-
Tense revealed facts that showed conc,1sivey my
mind the prisoners innocence. Immediately | got to
feet and asked the give the to the jury
with instructions that verdict of not guilty be
turned, and demonstrated in very few sentences how
the questioning of the opposing counsel had proved
the innocence of the accused Later we caught and
convicted the real thief.
After fourteen years in my home town | moved into
a large city where | had already become sufficiently
known to insure my starting out with excellent clients
From life in both a country and a city, have
become convinced that the country lawyer better
around man than the city lawyer for he knows more
kinds OF law, into contact with more different
brands of human and has every known sort of
issue to handle. After went to the city tried only
criminal case, and that because my client
to and said:
Il don't want criminal lawyer simply because am
innocent. If were guilty, should probably select
noted for cheating the Jail of its prey
That of the hardest | ever fought; but
the man innocent and was finally acquitted.
YOU, as lavman say and believe that lawyer &C
cepts any that is brought to him. irrespective
of the righteousness of the involved This is not
true. | know Erskine laid down the principle that
member of the profession was bound to defend or to
represent anyone who to him, because refusal
to do so presupposed mans guilt, and court could
60 such supposition In the United States this
theory has been modified AS far as | am concerned
say this to those who want my services:
81 will take in which do not believe. For
this nave two reasons In the first place. cannot do
good work don't believe in your position. Secondly,
do not intend to represent injustice before court OF
justice"
The public to lose sight of the fact that law
yer servant of the But he is just that.
Moreover have always contended that the good law
yers of the United States know fully much law the
Judges. And these two facts prove what said in the
beginning of this artcethat the private offices of the
lawyers are the Great Court of the people. Bear in
mind that what say contains nothing specially appli
cable My rule of conduct has been the rule fol
lowed by the great of men who in my profess
sion.
Whenever client to for the purpose of in
stitutng suit against other party, review the
facts and if they warrant it, give this advice:
IL shouldn't go into court on this If | were YOU l
think reach compromise and avoid all the pub
city and great amount of the expense that would be
entailed by court trial"
And, if he is reasonable man, he generally follows
that advice. The hardest people to keep out of the
courts women. Let get the idea that
she has been treated unfairly that she has lost money
through the dishonesty carelessness of other
person. and soothing words have considerably less effect
on her than trying shake down Gibraltar by whistng
yankee Doodle" at it.
Consultation, conference and adjustment the
main business of any lawyer who does not devote all
his time to the practice of criminal law You hear of
thousands of going to trial. but you never hear
of the hundreds of thousands that settled quietly