The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-08-13
President .L.Schmitt
Addresses Bar Meet
From Saturdays Daily.

Inc TWO uaNS SeSSlUll u the Slssl'
Bar association win close today a
81. Cloud. Yesterday James r. Mann
republican leader I'm the house address
ed the gathering. in which lie empha
sized the need of scientific methods ia
legislation. Judge Oscar Hallam of tho
state supreme court also spoke.
A mock trial was a feature OF the
evening session. In this judges OF the
supreme bench and the district court
participated.
Harrison l.. Schmitt OF Minneapolis
but until recently of Mankato. is presi-
dent of the bar association. and he
gave an able address yesterday.
l.. l.. Collins. staff correspondent
reporting the meeting for The Min
neapolis Journal in referring To the
address of Mr.. Schmitt, says:
lin his address TO the association
late yesterday. President Harrison
Schmitt OF Minneapolis, outlined the
case for the members OF the legal
profession who believe that certain
Minnesota lawyers are INDUCING in
practices unworthy OF the profession.
Many topics are scheduled for discus
lance chaser, the legal tout the
'shyster' attorney. H. at the head OF
the calendar Mr. Schmitt handled
the situation without use of the soft
pedal tie declared that:
Many Of the GannOns of ethics
laid down by statutes and bar asso-
citation rules for the conduct of attOr-
meys are violated i'm Minnesota.
Some attorneys in the state are
soliciting business by means Of ad
vertisements. circulars and 'tOuters.
Some attorneys in the state are
employing lecturers and other men i'm
an effort To obtain tor trial in Mime
sofa EcTsunal injury suits where the
cause OF action has arisen outside the
state.
Too Much Apathy.
Mr. SChmitt did not attach all the
blame Ia the attorneys who are de-
Clared to be violating legal ethics. He
called attention TO the fact that there
was surprising lack OF interest among
the reputable attorneys of the state i'm
SEEING that the methical practice If
attorneys were stopped. He said II
vas uD tO the bar association to show
the people Of Minnesota that n ma
jOrity OF the attorneys in the state are
proud OF their profession and opposed
to unethical practice.
And Mr.. Schmitt had 4 remedy for
the situation. He proposed a legisla-
tie statute creating Minnesota
State Bar association. He proposed
that membership in this association
be made obligatory or every LAWYER
and he proposed that the association
have legislative authority to investi-
gate charges Of misconduct among its
and suspend or expeI the at :
torneys who are found guilty OF un-
ethical practices
Mr.. SChmitt explained that he
would have The law authorize n re-
view of the bar associations actions
by the supreme court and that expul-
sion or suspeniOn from the association
should mean expulsion or suspension
from practice In the state courts. He
asked that the association consider
his proposal and take action.
Reform Started Two Years AGO.
1t was about two years ago that
the State Bar association first Off
cially recognized the fact that some
OF the attorneys of the state. both in
the larger cities and the country dis
tricts. were paying little attention to
certain rules of ethics which have
been laid down for the guidance of
members OF the legal profession Just
as certain other rules have been laid
down for the guidance of the medical
profession. 4 committee was appoint
ed 10 consider the situation.
AT the 1914 meeting OF the pssoci-
alton the committee reported that Il
had found many cases fOf unethical
practices. Among the things the com
mittee said il found were:
Some of the Abuses.
1T was fast growing practice OF
the part of some attorneys TO solicit
personal injury suits or suits for dam
age 10 livestock in transit. either In
person. by circulars or by paid solicit
Ors.
That one firm of lawyers I'm the
twin cities had forty five railroad en-
ployees. who were expected to solicit
business. on its salary roll
That one or two twin city firms
were employing lecturers and using
circulars I'm other states i'm an effort
TO convince non residents that Min
nesOta juries were more inclined than
Iuries in other states to bring I'm big
verdicts in personal injury suits
against railroads.
That one twin city firm engaged
in soliciting out of the state bust
ness had offices in thirty-two Ameri-
can cities with solicitors I'm each.
That personal injury suits brought
by nom residents and aggregatinp
claims for more than $4,000. 900 were
then pending in the Minnesota courts.
ana that as a result the taxpayers of
the state were paying a large sum for
conducting the machinery In settling
the lawsuits for non residents.
Bills ?igeonholed by Committees.
The bar association mt the 1914
meeting appointed a legislative com
mittee to draw up bills for presenta-
ton TO the legislature. Four bills
we're drawn, but all died in committees
at the last session. These bills aimed
at personal injury suits by non resi-
dents. the custom Of taking cases on g
percentage system and solicitation of
lawsuits.
During the last year committee on
legal ethics with James f.. Jerks of
ST. Cloud as chairman, who Is also
chairman OF the state board Of law
examiners. has continued its investi-
CATION and the report of the COM
mittee made today to the association
lnN