Evening star., 1922-02-23
URGES MORE RIGID
BARREQU|REMENTS
Root Tells Convention Inef-
ficient Lawyers Cause
Too Many Delays.

Improvement of the standards of the
incoming bar Of the country was asked
by former Senator Elihu Root in an
address at the opening session today
Of the conference Of bar associations
Hall.
MIR. Root asked the 400 delegates at
tending the two-day conference from
various bar associations throughout the
country to range themselves on the
side of the American Bar Association,
which has recommended that hereafter
two years of college work and three
years in a recognized law school shall
be required as a condition of admission
to the bar.
Mr.. Root was given a tremendous
ovation when he was called to the
platform shortly after noon by Judge
Clarence n. Goodwin of Chicago,
sided.
There is trouble in SO large a part
OF the bar that it affects us ALL" said
MT Root You can't have too many
rotten spots in an apple and have the
rest Of it good"
Mr.. Root pointed to the continued
delays in the law and the sending
back of cases for new trials. which
are brought about by the ineficiency
OF the bar. he said. These matters
have blackened the name of the bar,
Mr.. Root continued. He stressed con-
ditions existing wherein the rich man
Of
not get exactly the same treatment
in law.
That is the charge against you and
me-, against the profession of law,
against law itself, against your de-
creed institutions. which is sapping
the faith Of the people" Mr.. Root
said.
"a wilderness of laws and adjudi-
cations which no man can follow re-
quire more learning and training than
were required in the old days. he
said. Somebody has got to solve
these problems. or we will suffer as
the poor creatures in Russia are suf-
fering."
Asks for Assistance.
Mr.. Root asked for the sympathy
and assistance of the various bar as
sociations in the recommendations of
the American Bar Association. and at
again given an ovation.
Besides outlining the condition of
college and law school requirements
Mr.. Root pointed out that the Amer
ican Bar Association recommends that
there be published, from time to
time, the names of those law schools
which comply with the advanced
standards and of those which do not.
and to make such publications avail
able, so far as possible, to intending
law students. The American Bar
Association, he said, also feels that
officers of the association should CO.
operate with state and local bar as
sociations to urge upon the duly con-
stituted authorities of the several
states the adoption of these require
ments for admission to the bar.
Proposition Outlined.
Judge Clarence n. Goodwin. former
justice Of the Illinois appellate court,
chairman of the conference of bar
associations. presiding at the opening
meeting, outlined the proposition to
lows: THAT hereafter two years in
college and the equivalent of three
years in a full-time law school shall
be required as a condition of admis-
sion to the bar"
Giving an outline of the conference
created in 1915 at the suggestion of
Senator Elihu Root, Judge Goodwin
said. in part:
Not all that was accomplished at
Versailles was good; but all that was
accomplished there that was good
came from the acceptance of those
great doctrines laid down in our Dec
laration of Independence, of the equal
rights of all mankind.
mot everything that was desired
was accomplished at the great confer
ence SO recently held here in this his
toric hall. but all the good that was
here accomplished was made possible
by the influence of those in every ma
tion who believed in the common kim
dred and equal rights Of men in every
station and in every part of the world.
Equality Threatened.
"It occurred to me then that this
same principle of human equality
must be a decisive factor in all our
deliberations. We affirm that we be-
lfeve in equality before the law. But
how can equality before the law be
CONTINUED on Page 9. Column ~