The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-08-10

IEL= - NlNlUtu dllu SuD-ulNlOed. 10 |
s.ty. in a great city, hat a man is a
mrmber of the legal profession is too
vague 10 convey the modern meaning.
s few years ago, if he gave most of
1874 attention to corporation practice,
h, VAS called a corporation lawyer.
All as corporations multiplied the pro-
4.,sfUn was again divided and a prac-
tttsncr became IL railroad lawyer. an
In,urduCe lawyer, a trust company
l4,yer. and SO on. This specialization
makes for accurate knowledge and
"asrfect equipment in n line of the
urelcSSiOn and seems to be essential
ir our day. But, while it produces
eminent specialists there is a growing
Itiicf that it tends to
whereas the old-time general practi-
tuutr made up in broad culture and
.tncral knowledge of fundamental
PRINCIPLES what he Lacked in intimate
knowledge of a single branch of his
profession. The new type of the bust
ness lawyer SecureS-mind you, | did
not say "earnS'-larger fees than his
.N-around brother of a past genera
U,n. for we have come to a time when
thr magic word specialist" will draw
Thousands from miser purses when the
general practitioner finds it difficult
to obtain dollars for services some
times better than those for which the
specialist Is handsomely paid.
This truth was made the subject of
one of Opper's latest and best cartoons
representing "Dr. Jones. Genera Prac-
huuuCr.' who said: This is fierce. |
haven't had a patient in a month";
and thcreupOn has Il brilliant idea,
l.'.es out his card:
DIR. Jones
Alienist
Expert in Ailments of the
Bean. Noodle and Nut"
-l a.. L.. - f,A to 49, I'D
with patients and his income enables
him to contract the automobile habit.
We all must recognize hat the man
who devotes all his time to the stud
of insurance law knows more about ii
than the man who gives equal atten-
ton to all the law suits m tC
hin in "A varied practice. If we need
ed a lawyer in an important insurance
ease we woul all prefer the man whC
had mastered that branch of his pro
feSsion. When the saying, The Law
Is "A jealous mistress" first became I
maxim the meaning was that he Wht
would win position at the bar mus
give il an undivided affection. In GU
day there are SO many divisions in tn
law that in the large cities the oil
saving has lost it's former meanin;
and the man who seeks a large prac
tice must center all his affection
upon one branch of the law. Thus w
nave eminent law NeTS WHO never Ut.
a case in court, but associate an ad
Vocate whenever their clients must e
into the courts to protect their right
OF defend their interests. 1t is q JO
to hear one of these specialists tai
about his case and it makes one won
der hat n man can know eVerythin
about insurance or railroad litigation
for example. But. high as is our ad
miration for the expert in his profes
sion. how much greater is our adm
ration for the broad-minded and vel
satile lawyer whose mind is store
with the principles of law and equit,
who brings to bear logic, imagination
and persuasion. as he and before
jury. equally irresistible whether he
defending a negro for stealing or cor
ccntrating his mind upon the difficu
ties of a suit to uphold or upset a viii
The specialist is the master in his lin
The general practitioner is the maSte
in the field of reason and logic. \
the specialist grows into maturity tf
tendency is for him to narrow n
reading and knowledge to his chose
branch. not growing into the larg'
ness of wisdom and knowledge of me
which crowns the old-time pract
TONER whose horizon is broader. III
one digs a deeper well. The other ge
from "a thousand hfe-g1VlI
streams.
I'm North Carolina. with no cite
the practice of the law has not yet b
come narrowed-Or shall | say dee
cned?-by the subdivisions to whit
city life and great interests lend theT
selves. We may lack often the tho
U~ughnesS, the accurate knowleds
the mastery of detail found in the sp
Calist. but while our bar as a who
may lack in these qualities. does
not more han maxi up in the wild
ness of experience, the necessity +
mastery of fundamenta principles al
The devotion to equity? l incline
mink, If we are not the equals In pr
'lslon and accuracy, our lawyers ha
- broader grasp of the principl
which constitute the very mud-Sl
upon which the temple of the proft
sion rests.
The North Carolina lawyer, w