The Washington herald., 1922-02-25
LAWYERS VOTE
TO RAISE PLANE
/ OF PROFESSION
College Term and Liberal
Education Provided
In Resolution.


this profession they must ohssrVe
its ethical standards; that there are
other things in the world more irn-
portant than winning a lawsuit;
that they are not running a ie-
2artment store with agenei>s and
advertisements to drum up busi-
ness. Too much emphasis cannot
be placed upon this requirement.
The law schools have made TOO lit
tie of this important matter in
their curricula."
w. r. Friersou Speaks
ADDRESSING the dIaGsr guests W
the general topic Of raising e1uca-
tional reuTiremS0'c for those seek
ing 20 enter the ssal profession.
william L. Friersor. former solic-
itorr general, said:
The very nature OF our govern
ment gives to the legal profession
a public character and a peculiar
dignity or calling. The Judges, of
necessity, come from our ranks and
we may. therefore. claim, with jus
tice. that the ultimate power Of
our government Is, at last. welded
byour profession. The distinction
that comes from our relation to
the government Is not confined to
those OF our members who are ele-
waited 20 the bench We are all
sworn Officers of the courts In
Witch we practice. As advocates
for Eour clients. we have a part In
shaping the jurisprudence of, the
country. In our relations 10 the
courts. we are minister's of justice.
- t. -
adninistration OF justice is. think
secsnd only to the part of those
who are charged with the RESPONSE
bifiiy of rendering judgment There
is " seems to me, no higher priv
negR which comes to busy men
thal that which is the practicing
lawyers when he stands at his
plsSe at the bar. and Of right. un-
awed, and without fear or fawning.
boldly insists upon the application
Of Ghe principles of Justice to great
interests. or asserts human rights
ande demands their protection"
The morning session of the con-
ference was addressed by a num-
berEof prominent speakers on the
general subject Of technical edu-
cation. william G. McAdoo pre-
sided
Funetiona Of Lawyer.
Speaking of the functions of .
lawyer as related to the proposed
resolution, Mr.. McAdoo said:
1T Is his function not to create
STRIFE. but through the processes
of The law or through counsel and
CONSULTATION. to compose and elm
mate it, II Is his function not to
impede the processes of business.
-
counsel, to facilitate them Here Is
thiS multitude of men, entrusted
by the state with the special pre-
roeatiye of giving counsel and rep
ressntiLg in litigation the public
at large and who exercise . great
influence over the economic. social
and political life of the country.
The American Bar Associations
proposal il to create conditions Of
such character that in the course
of time every member of the pro-
fessfon shall have had at least two
years in a university or college,
which are. after all. one of the bull
warks Of democracy and progress.
and shall have devoted himself in
tensively. at least three years. to
theT study of his profession. Can
there be any reasonable doubt that
the, success of such proposals will
resaIt in the material and moral
betterment of the legal profession
and Of the Nation as a whole?
II have in mind. of course. what
has been said about the necessity
Of keeping the profession open to
all classes of our citizens and to all
ranks of society; but having in
view the facilities for education
presented by the colleges and uni
versities of the country and the op-
portunities offered to industrious
and ambitious men to work their
way through college. there can be
no doubt that the privileges Of the
bar would continue to be open to
men from every walk of life. re-
CARELESS Of their financial means.
- Castion To Delegates.
The address Of Charles A. Boston.
vice chairman OF the Conference in
which he extended a word of eau
tion to the delegates, was particu-
larry well received. Mr.. Boston
said in part:
TT seems established nationally.
that the community needs the best
attainabIe: but Il should not pre-
scribe requirements that would de-
feat its own ends by so limiting
the number of men admitted to the
profession that they could not per-
form the public function that de-
wolves upon them. Standards should
not be placed so high that the num-
her attaining to membership would
be limited so they could not perform
the functions of the bar. Anything
short Of that Is. in my Judgment,
said Mr. Boston, "in the very best
interests Of the community. and It
Is automatic that you cannot have
LAWYERS too well educated"
In a speech recognizing the fall
ure Of study in law oSces to give
adequate training to young men,
GEORGE z. wickersham explained
that the complex nature of modern
practice has added an immense
field Of dinicultfes to the UNDER
Standing Of legal principles.
Whereas it was possible Tor
Young men. through a system OF
apprenticeship to acquire knowl'
edge of law to enter the courts IN
the early history of this country,
Mr.. wickersham said. the rapid
Growth of business and the inter-
dependence of economic and social
questions. necessitates a more COM
prehensiye understanding than can
be acquired by the old Methods
Methods of bringing law students
in touch with practicing lawyers
Of high professional ideals were
discussed by william Draper Lewis.
A rising vote of sympathy was
extended to former President
Al