The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-02-24
BAR SPLITS OVER
EFFORT TO REQUIRE
COLLEGE TRAINING
McAdoo Would Not Admit Mem
bers Without 3-Year Course
In Law School

Washington, Feb. 24.-Gawyers who
have won distinction and high place
at the bar through native ability and
industry and who have not had a col
lege education, may be expected nat
urally to offer with q certain degree
of hesitancy their approval of the Tex
acting standard which the American
Bar Association seems to impose" up
on future members of the profession.
William G.. McAdoo. of New York, de-
clared today before the National con-
ference of bar associations.
The former secretary of the treas
ury said he had been unable ito go
20 a law school," but was obliged at
the age of eighteen to get out into
the world and make his own living,
but that the recommendation of the
American Bar Association that future
members of the profession be obliged
not only to take three-year course
in a law school, but in addition to
have at least two years college train
ing was worthy of support by all those
interested in the improvement of legal
standards.
NGSHlHSlOH. r tD. Dt-
fore the law is impossible so long as
the rich and powerful are represented
in the court bv highly educated law
vers. while a large part of the poor
and ignorant are represented by I'M
trained and incompetent men. Justice
Clarence ~ Goodwin. of Chicago, de-
clared in his opening address today as
chairman Of the conference of bar as
sociations here. Until such a condi.
ton is corrected. he said. there will be
little justice in the courts.
The shrewd and powerful men and
interests of large means are able to
know who are competent and who are
not. Judge Goodwin asserted adding
that II was difficult for the poor man.
the ignorant man. TO make anv Just
estimate of who was capable of prop.
erly advising and representing him.
During my years as a trial Judge
"ihe speaker said. 81 was frequently
distressed by the fact that one side
or the other in the case before me was
so incompetentlv represented by coun-
ell, or represented by such ignorant
counsel. that owing 10 the learning
and skill OF the aito-no'.s on the other
side. IL seemed imDossible TO get the
case property before the ccurt. or
keep error out OF the records.
Judge Goodwin said that during
Years as Justice ~ tho Illinois appel.
late court we fourd ourselves con.
siantly confronted with records which
showed such palpable and unmisiak.
able errors rs 10 make Il necessary
10 reverse the case. aithouRh Il oh.
viausly had merit. and although u
was almost moral certqintv tho
had the e"rors been eli-"inated tho
vardict and judgment would have beer
the same.
There miscarriaRes cf Justice. due
70 ignorance and incompetence Of
counsel are largely beyond the power
Of judges 10 control. or Of rules o.
practice TO remedy. u Is n be re-
membered. however that the men
representing these fortunate litieants
where licensed by the state q prar.
tice law. II seems little less than a
crime for the state TO certify 10 the
competency. 10 the learning and to the
ability OF a man who represents his
fellow citizens In court who Is not
learned nor able nor competent 10
represent or advise anybody In any
legal matter"