Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1914-02-12
.AFerorlte2 Tersst.

The WhonifaO RpHlateP II VERY fIrnH~r
t;c a n. rr;t;e;.r, ~ the la0sl at0fsS-
A;on b6t l. sfollowipc the sstEbliahsffi
fss6I6n ~ tkk mess n mar rsaI6iset
The octss;on 81 The Rss istal's recent
comments = the asioption by the state
~ 1E,n ~ ~. ~, !, f,,yn,,i,,stIsd nv me
6mss;can Rar Association for4sdfn;s-
s;6y Y ,,rart;cs Isv 4 tbaf staiA. 1Ise
| tert n he .oafh 4 a. follows:
~ A. ao,lem,p,v suear. will snpport
the constitution Of The. state .of fOhid).
| 4 Will maintain the resuect due to codIts
Of iustice and indiriaIsofscere. will
NOT .ro,,nasf or MAINTAIN, anv-suit 6rapro-
ssedlnva which sl,aii at;uenr tome 10
10 uni,sst MIR snS dnfsiAe pxeenk INCH
a. 1 beI;ava Ia be h0ne2fIy JIebStal,le
under the law Of the hand. I viii en-
nl1v-fut he n,,Spose of s. aints i,lIsie me
causes con conf;ded TO me such means ONLY
AZ are consistent With trpth and honor
and will never seek to mislesd the
iudUa or iurv bv any artifice or false
abatement If fact or law / will main
tain the confidence and preserve invio-
lata The secrets ef nv clients and will
accent no COMPENSATION in connection
with his business except from him or
with his knowledge ami approyal n
will abstain from ali offensive person
aIities. and advance no fact preiudjcial
To the honor or reputation Of q party
mr. witness u,iless reuuired by the JUS
tie Of The eau ,e with which I ann charged
/ will never r. iects from any consider
at;,n narsonal ~ MYSELF The cause Of
tba .lefenseless mr. IMPRESSED mr. DELAY
any mans canse for lucre or malice.
80 helm me Cod
The above oath n s,mn,v a terse con-
denaat;on of the code 81 nrofess;onal
ethics tn which the legal nrofession
subscribes as a profession and to
which every honorable LAWYER adheres
n his nract;ce If he attains any stand.
inc or character among his fellow m, M
hers of the bar There are excen,ions.
lust as there are exceptions to a high
standard IN all professions.
Rnt the Reois,ar vii, think he .hove
an extravaganza statement when applied
TO the Legal nrofession.
This II what II thinks Of that nrofes-
sion
.eTbi, il ancb a reyna, kaI,le oath IN.
volv;ng ob,;yationa, an mpcb al variance
with common nract;ccs of attorneys.
that If n Il taken bv The LAWYERS ~
Ohio and respected by them it will
work 4 comple,e revolution IN the |
courts Of this state. No ht,oant in
Ohio or anywhere else experiences any |
trouble in securing a LAWYER TO handle
case for him wbether his canse ia
just or unjust, nor does any man who |
may be clearly guilty OF crime find
any trouble in hiring lawyers to defend |
him if he has the money with which to
pay them. In fact. it is such a we'll /
established rule that money can buy
the best legal talent. and that talent
thus bought does not scrup'e to mislead |
judge and jury "bY artifice and false |
statement of fact or law" that we
shall expect the Ohio obligation to be
more honored in the breach than in the |
observance. When all lawyers are
bound by that oath the millennium will |
be here.
In the above caustic comment the
Register simply reflects the common
conception and attitude of the laymeh |
toward the legal profession. We blame |
the Register for not having more in
telligent discrimination and hence a
more intelligent discernment of the |
real basis of the very general adverse
criticism of the lawyer.
There are two or three propositions
in this connection to which the average
=layman- -oblivious and vet go to the
root Of The matter and are explanatory
Of the whol..
The first is that eyery citizen has a
right to his "day in court whether
h;s case he good. Indifferent or wholly
bad.
2. It is not only the. right but the
dntv of the LAWYER to represent liti-
giant in anu case. even though it be
wholly bad-1st. if the LAWYER is de-
deiyed and does not know it is wholly
bad: End, if the client is insistent upon
contesting q doubtful case even against
p :
the Judgment of the LAWYER: 3rd, in
any case where his client is a defendant.
3. No matter how conscientious a
lawyer may be, he, and not his client,
| is saddled with the credit or discredit