The Washington herald., 1916-09-09

bers the law schools OF Harvard. Column
bia, Chicago, Michigan, Cornell, Penn
sylvanis- Yale, Northwestern UNIVERSE
ty, and most of the law schools of the
State universities Of the Middle West.
The aim OF modern legal education as
the best law schools aim to conduct II
is not the acquisition of rules as facts
by memorizing, but mental dicipline and
training In legal reasoning. accompanied
by q thorough knowledge and under
standing Of fundamental legal principles
and the reasons underlying them; not
knowledge alone, but the power to solve
legal problems, the faculty sometimes
called legal mind" The modern law
school is not a school for craftsmen but
for scientists The George Washington
University Law School endeavors to
maintain these university ideals in legal
education.
The experience OF the past twenty-five
years has demonstrated that the best
and most scientific legal training can
be obtained by study under what is
popularity known as the ease method"
At George Washington the topics of
substantive law are taught by this
method. The students are required to,
read and digest the reports of leading
cases decided by the ablest judges of
America and England. and are taught
to analyze and distinguish them, work
ing out the fundamental principles with
the help Of the free discussion In the
classroom. Their serious professional
work thus begins in the law school. for
the methods Of analysis and discussion
are fundamentally those they must en-
ploy after beginning actual practice.
Thus they are given the best theoretical
and the most practical training at the
same time. No system has yet been de-
vised so successful for the training of
students in correct methods Of legal
study and reasoning, while at the same
time imparting q firm grasp OF funda-
mental legal principles. At the request
Of and under the auspices Of the Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement Of
Teaching. Prof. Josef Redlich. professor
OF law In the University OF Vienna, has
recently completed an investigation of
the methods OF instruction In American
law schools and in his report published
in 1914 by the foundation he highly COM
mends the case method" In the report
he makes the following statement. LAS
the method was developed, it laid the
main emphasis upon precisely that
aspect Of the training which the older
textbook school entirely neglected; the
training Of the student in intellectual in
dependence. In the fact that il has
actually accomplished this purpose lies
the great success Of the case method"
The case method has now become an
accepted fact in American legal educa-
ton, and il used in over 90 per cent of
the leading law schools which comprise
the Association Of American Law
Schools
Besides aiming to develop IN the stu
dent the legal mind" which is the aim
OF modern legal training, the law school
endeavors to give as much instruction as
Is practicable in procedure and practice
The adjective law courses in procedure.
evidence, legal tactics and ethics, brief
making. preparation OF legal Instruments.
organization Of corporations and moot
court, dealing with the practical appli-
cation OF the legal principles taught in
the other classes are in charge Of judges
and lawyers IN active practice. Particu-
lar emphasis II laid upon moot court, in
the three branches Of which, equity, cir
cult and criminal every third year stu
dent Is required to try several cases to a
conclusion IN accordance with the rules
Of legal procedure. This court has been
successfully operated for ever twenty
years, and has been chosen as a model by
several other law schools.
To supplement the instruction in prac-
tice there is conducted at the school I'M
der faculty supervision, the Legal Aid
Society, which furnishes legal advice
without charge to needy persons. Mem
bership In this is restricted to students
who have made a high record for scholar
ship.
One Of the most advantageous features
Of the school is its schedule of classes.
Most Of the subjects are taught in two
sections, one in the forenoon from 9 to u,
and the other in the afternoon from 4:5O