The Washington herald., 1914-09-04
NOTABLE YEAR AHEAD
OF G. WI. Law School
Three New Members of the Faculty
Added. Giving Additional Strength
to Course Of Work.
MEANS WIDENING OF SCOPE

expansion OF the curriculum along mod
ern lines. improvements in physical
equipment and with prospects for an in
creased enrolment and a most success
full year.
Since the close Of the last session there
have been a number of changes in the
faculty. The new dean, Prof. Everett
Fraser, 10 q graduate Of Dalhousie Uni
versity and Of the Harvard Law School.
For the past four years he has been
devoting his entire time to the Law
school. and has been active in admins
trative work, and in the encouragement
and supervision Of student activities OF
an educational nature. He was largely
| instrumental in the organization OF the
Legal Aid Society and IL its faculty ad-
wiser. During the coming academic year
Dean Fraser will, in addition to his ad-
illustrative duties, continue to teach his
courses in real property and constitu-
| tional law.
The three new members Of the faculty,
Profs Archibald King, ]. Lewis Parks.
| IT., and E. o. Schneider, jr., will be resi-
dent instructors, devoting their entire
time to law teaching. Prof King 10
graduate OF Harvard College, with the
degree Of A. NJ, and a graduate Of the
Harvard Law School. He has for the
past eight years been associated with the
law firm OF King and King Of this city
OF which firm he has been a member
| for over four years. Prof Parks comes
from New York City. where he has been
engaged in the practice OF law since
his graduation from Columbia University
with both collegiate and law degrees.
Prof. Schneider is graduate OF
George Washington University with the
degree Of A. B. and LII B.. both
with distinction" His record while a
student in the law school was one Of
the highest ever made there. Since his
graduation he has been in the practice
of law with the firm OF Britton & Gray.
This year the law school will have one
more resident professor. This has en-
abIed the faculty to increase the num-
Der OF hours OF class room work TO 100
hours per week each semester. to eX-
pand certain important topics, ana 10
add additional ones. Substantially. all
of the topics generally given in the best
law schools are included in the cur
riculum This gives students a larger
choice Of elective subjects and furnishes
a better course for candidates for the
ost-graduate degrees Of master OF laws
and master OF patent law. The course
In patent law has been increased to
double the number OF hours previously
given. by the establishment last Feb
ruary Of the course In substantive
patent law and patent ONCE practice.
ton OF the United States Patent once.
The course in patent law practice will
be continued as before by Prof. Melville
Church.
Its method Of instruction. the empha-
sis II lays upon the teaching Of Prac-
tice. the hours at which its classes meet
and the membership in the Association
Of American Law Schools, are lmpor-
tant features of the school. genera
Ian
schools OF the country has demonstrat-
ed that the best and most practical
method OF teaching the fundamental
principles and theories of substantive
law and Of training students in the ap
plication OF these principles to concrete
legal problems. is what is generally
known as the case method"
This method. by which the student
learns to read analyZe, and distin-
guish the opinions OF the leading courts
in actually decided cases, has largely
book method. Because this method is
the Laboratory method" Of studying
law. and is just as necessary In the
study OF law as is a laboratory in the
study Of the natural sciences. because
II most closely approXimates the work OF
the lawyer in actual practice, place the
emphasis upon reasoning and initiative
upon memory. and stimulates the stu
-4ent's interest. II is the method now
used in 81 per cent of the fOrty-three
leading law schools of the country which
comprise the Association OF American
Law Schools. and among which is the
George Washington University Law
School
Not only does the faculty OF the law
school endeavOr to drill its students in
mi nd To in
legal mind" but it also tries far as
is possible to fit them for the actual
practice OF law. The courses in pleading
and practice, evidence. brief making.
preparation of legal instruments, organ
ization of corporations, and legal tactics
and ethics are given by lawyers in active
practice.
emphasized, and is required OF all third
year students. In the three branches Of
this court. equity. circuit and criminal,
each student is required to conduct
several cases to a conclusion in accord
ance with the rules Of legal procedure,
and during the trial Of these cases the
atmosphere OF an actual trial in a real
court room is Appropriated as nearly
as possible. Twenty years Of successful
experience in the administration Of the
moot court have served TO make its i'm
portance clearer to the faculty, and the
work in 1t more interesting to the stu
dent body AS a supplement to this
work in practice courses and in moot
court. the Legal Aid Society, which I'M
der faculty and alumni supervision fur
nishes free legal aid to needy persons, is
a valuable means of giving students
practical experience.
Through its afternoon and early morn
ing classes the Law School affords self
supporting students an opportunity to at
tend a day law school, and to obtain the
advantages Of day law school methods
Employed students may attend classes
from 40 until $50. and have the option
of attending classes from 80 until SO in !
the early morning, and thus emitting one
or two afternoons. This arrangement of
ho'-rs leaves them the evenings for unin- |
terrupted study, an advantage lacking in |
an evening school. II also better utilities |
the students. The law school also pro- !
vides for the increasing number OF stu |
dents who devote substantially their
whole time TO the study OF law. by |
scheduling classes between and
u IN the forenoon. The schedule OF |
classes thus permits students to take their |
entire course in the afternoon. or partly /
in the afternoon and partly in the early |
morning. or the major part Of their
course during the forenoon hours between
9 and u, and thus furnishes the
best hours of class attendance to both
employed students and those devoting
their entire time to the study Of law.
The law school of George Washington
Is the only law school in the
Of the Association OF American Law
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