The Columbia evening Missourian., 1922-02-04
KANSAS CITY
LAWYERS HEAR
DEAN M'BAINE
Educational Methods Used in
the Study Of Law Are
Compared to Those
in Medicine.
IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED
Solution Of Problem Lies in
Raising Requirements for
Admission to the Bar,
He Thinks.

1T j. mcte and proper that the prac
ticing member. Of the bar -heuld from
time TO time lay aside the perplenIns
problems Of their private affairs and give
attention to public natter, aid J. r
NcRsine, dean of the School OF Law oil
the University Of Missouri in opening h;
address 10 the Kansas City Bar Associa
lion hi. afternoon. The first part Of the
lecture xas devoted to a comparison o'
the educational methods used by the
medical school. Of the United States With
lhose of the Law schools.
The great Improvement in the medical
training system from 1904 to 1915 shows
many poorer -chools eliminated and the
standard raised much higher. Dean Nc
Baine deplored the fact that a similar
reform had not been made in Law schools,
and suggested that the four vital points
Of improvement used in the medical
schools be studied:
]. Special training and efficiency Of
tt.e faculty members. ?. A stricter quail
hicaiion Of students for entrance, in
scholarship, character, earnesiness. etc.
3. Ssrict and efficient administration and
supervision with careful attention to
curriculum and records. 4. Complete
Building. and equipment; in law schools,
the Libraries are OF paramount impor-
lance
Not more than 20 or 25 per cent OF Am
erican law students are enrolled in 90
called high standard schools.-fhai is.
schools which require a high-schooi edu-
cation for entrance. This number Is. OF
course. greatly lessened Il the students
who are reading Law in an Office should
be counted. Dean McBaine's presen; so
luton Of this problem j. thai the require
ments for admission to the bar should be
much more strict. and the preliminary
education broader and more thorough.
All but one state requires that a man
be a graduate Of medical school before
he is allowed TO practice; all that many
states require Of lawyer is that his char
scier be good. and that he has studied
Law. either in a school or an Office for a
certain length Of time. On!J Two states
demand a complete college education for
admittsnce to the bar. A bill presented
to the last session Of the State Legislature
BY the Missouri Bar Association, urging
that a definite standard be set by Law,
failed to pass.
The investigation Of the Carnegie Foun-
daiion reports ihs, Of the l47 law schools
in Missouri, only 80. or u per cent re-
quire high standard entrance qusli6ca-
iion, or two years Of college before the
three years Of study. This seems very
slight, when compared with the medical
requirements yet only a small number
Of our law schools have that much.
The legal profession is peculiarly a
public profession" said Dean McBsinc,'
and the democratic principle Of equal
is peculiarly applicable to it;
a legal education should be Of that type
that would produce q real knowledge Of
fundamental principles and mind which
thinks in terms Of the common law"
Ii is the conceded opinion Of the law
,ers who have studied this question. that, |
10 fully realize and fulfill their profes- |
sional obligation to the people. prospec.
live law students should have at least two, |
and preferably four years in college be-
lore beginning their study Of law. and
also that this should be in a high stand
ard law school whenever possible. he
pointed out.