The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-02
MOVEMENT ON FOOT ID ERECT BUILDING FOR THE LAW SCHOOL
Reunion of Law Classes Will Be Held Today at Which Time Matter Will
 Be Discussed
Fly LEON C. BRADLEY

ment looking toward the immediate con structon of a law building at the uni Versty and an organization of a deter
 mined fight against the effort to require graduates of the law department of the university to stand the state bar exam nations are expected to be the outcome of the reunion of the law classes here Tues day. The alumni of the law department
 are just beginning to realize what strides l the law department has made at the l state university within the past few years and all are of the opinion that a
 magnificent building for the exclusive use of the department should be erected. I Each of the other departments of the
 university has separate building while i the law students are placed on the third I floor of the academic buildings.
 I The law department during the past year has made remarkable record Dr.
 A. J. Farrah, the dean, announces that
 the enrolment of the session in his de-
 partment was 142, which is the largest
 in the history of the institution. This record was made in spite of the fact that
 the summer school for law has been 1 abolished and now every student Is re- quired to take two full years. During former years the summer school always greatly increased the attendance, due to the fact that a student could attend six
 weeks during the summer and then gradu- ate in one year.
 The progressive policies of the law school which weer outlined and placed in oper- which were outlined and placed in oper-
 ship of w. B. Oliver, have been very
 ably carried forward under the leadership
 of Dean Farrah, who succeeded MT. Oliver when the latter resigned last year to run for Congress. The curriculum has been greatly raised until now it compares fa- vorably with the great majority of the law schools of the country. Not only is
 high entrance requirement vigorously enforced, but high grade of scholarship
 and regular attendance are requisites for
 completion of the courses The practice couse work, which was begun under the regime of MT. Oliver has been greatly en- larged, due to the two full years require-
 ment and it is stated by all familiar with the work now being done at the univer- sity that any graduate of the department l is thoroughly capable of practicing with out undergoing an apprenticeship, as was the custom In the past. The improvement | in the law department is in line with that of the university. but within recent years it has probably been more pro- noGnced than in any of the other depart ments.
 Law Department Self-Sustaining Those who are urging the claims of the law department for a separate building point out the fact that the attendance is larger than in tine engineering department, l which has a magnificent building Conner 1 hall. used by that department exclusively
 It is shown by the reports of the treas urer of the university that the law de-
 partment not only is self-sustaining but also makes a surplus for the university above all expenses. No other department of the university can point to such lrecord.
 Dean Farrah stated today that he coult
 not state what steps would be taken to. ward filling the vacancy in the law de partment, caused by the resignation of A l s. VandeGraaff of Tuscaloosa Mir Van- deGraaff, who was member of the faculty some years ago, has rendered his resignation and announces that he can- not continue with the school after this year. Whether another Tuscaloosa law yer will be chosen for the vacancy or whether a professor for the department held by MT. VandeGraaff will be engaged for his entire time has not been decided The vacancy will not be filled for some weeks, 1t is thought.
 It Is known that Dean Farrah Is work | ing to make the university law course one 1 of three years as is the case in the larger universities in the north and east Tn
 this endeavor he has the active support | of President Denny and the leading alumni
 of the school. It is beieevd that within the next two or three years this move will be taken.
 l One of the most important additions to
 the law department during the past yea, was the gift by Judge Garrett of Birming. ham of 1900 volumes consisting of the
 most valuable law books to be obtained
 It is estimated that this library could no,
 be duplicated by the university for les. l than s10,O00. A number of other forward
 movements have recently been inaugu
 rated under the leadership of Dean Far rah. and with the assistance which he 1, receiving from President Denny and tn, law alumni all over the state, it is ex
 pected that at no far distant date the
 law department will be in handsome building as are the other departments
 and that a three-year course will be a
 reality