The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-24

want ome in our classes; they
would establish new standards. they
might assail our old traditions: their
presence would embarrass us in every
way-espccially at first, when there
are only n few"
one r their number did say it
Prof. Joseph Beals OF the Harvard
faculty. who Is the founder. board OF
trustees. president. dean and faculty
majority Of the Cambridge law school
II was he who rescued the petition II
the college girls from the oblivion
to which Columbia. Yale and Harvard
had consigned IL. and presented IL
anew To Radcliffe. And when Rad
cline had 10 refuse 10 grant its re-
quests, he went ahead and did IL him
self.
Without n nd wment, without
any capital except the legal knowledge
In his head, n fixed purpose, a convic-
ton, much enthusiasm and the loyal
support Of some good lawyer friends
who are helping him To teach nine
eager. aspiring Portias. he opened a
new school. THE main thing was to
hegin-those details will come later"
he aid. The girls pay "A tuition of
$500. $3.50 OF which goes 10 pay his
colleagues: $50 is used for books.
He speaks Of his achievement much
az another man might refer 20 the
shorn lawn which he has Just finished
moving. But he talks Of law for
women and the need of the best legal
training for them and the need of the
community for ONE lawyers with
contagious enthusiasm.
Really. it would he as bad for the
Jaw schools as for n women II they
were tn open their classes 10 them,
There are SO few women who wish
Ia attend and those few would be
so painfully conspicuous II would be
unpleasant and Improbable for every
N concerned to admit them to-day
But there Is no reason why women
should not he given the very best
legal training there IL 10 give. why
they should not he trained with the
same care n given an equal chance
To compete In the practice.
so unless YOU establish n coedu-
catlonal institution and start out with
the same numhcr Of inen and women
tho only thing to do Is to establish a
separate school for women with the
same standards and the same adyan-
tages which the men enjoy. This
little experiment OF ours IS tho ou,y
school east of Chicago which makes
Il -four year college course "A pre-
requisite for entrance. found. in
the course Of my inquiries when l
was thinking Of opening these classss
h a there are ~ this time only four
teen young ome in the country
studying law and there are three or
four times that many in all who have
a college degree. No wonder-" he
hlushod and hesitated.
"No wonder? ne Wondered Of
course, what there Wa no wonder
about.
"Why, ! was just going to say.
no wonder the women claim that they
haven't n fair chance" in the profess
SION. If they had better training they
would not have cause 10 complain.
There j. plenty Of room for good
lawyers IN fact. there Is n demand
for them There Is no room for the
mediocre lawyers and there is an
oversupplr of them
! hrmiE believe that It u only
TINS matter III raining that has kept
women from rising tn the top of their
PROFESSIONS In intelligence, judg-
mcnt, ability and insight oma IL
every bit mans equal. Office work,
which Is much of the most difficult
and the most important work in any
case, is particularly well adapted 10
tn the capabilities of Court
work-trial works. tho least i'm
portant phase OF the practice. IL does
not pay As well either. Women would
not shine NJ that, il is true, for II re-
quires an organism which must be at
all times ready.
"But that is the only phase in which
women-alwaNs provided they had the
same traininG--would not rank with
men, In any branch which Is purely
intellectual, which requires care and
th%oroughness and a~daptability, they
would rank equally high In their re-
suits"
Those who ar" assisting him in