Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20
Bar Delegation From Capital
Will Ask Support of AS
ISOLATION Convention.
FEDERAL LAW Is SEEN
AS EFFECTIVE REMEDY
Use of Titles Conveying Impression
They Are Attorneys Would
Be Made Illegal.

Support of the American Bar Asso-
citation for a law prohibiting lobbyists
representing themselves as members of
the legal profession, will be sought to-
morrow by a group of Washington at
torneys at the associations convention
in Memphis, Tenn.
Such a law would limit the designa-
tions of lawyers" "attorney-at-law"
and other similar terms to bona flde
members of the bar, and, 1t is thought.
would do much to curtail activities Of
lobbyists in Washington.
Maj. Peyser Heads Delegation.
The delegation is headed by Maj.
Julius I. Peyser, president of the Dis
trict Bar Association. While the pro-
gram OF the convention calls for VIII
liam c. Sullivan, prominent Washing
ton lawyer, to prevent the official state
ment in this matter, 1t also will be dis
cussed by Maj. Peyser, Roger j. White
ford. chairman of the grievance COM
mittee of the local bar association, and
Jesse c. Adkins and John Lewis Smith,
former presidents of the Washington
Bar Association.
Lobbying in the District of Column
bia will receive hard blow II the Amer
lean Bar Association Is successful in
having Congress pass such legislation"
Maj. Peyser said yesterday. THE sit
uation is particularly acute here, where
many persons, sent here for lobbying
purposes or who establish offices for
such purposes, use the titles lawyer
attorney or similar descriptive words
after their names on their doors and
on their stationery. Some of them have,
perhaps, been admitted to the bar in
their own States at some past time;
others have never been admitted to any
bar; still others have been admitted to
practice before the Supreme Court OF
the United States as a mere matter OF
form because of their former practice
before some court in their home State.
Titles Held Misleading.
"Their titles are misleading because
few Of them know the law of the Dis
trict Of Columbia and fewer still take
the trouble to study 1t. They may cost
friends or clients thousands of dollars
through their lack of knowledge but II
they have been admitted to a court In
their home State, there Is no way to
prevent their use of the titles in ques-
ton. They practice mostly before the
various Government courts and because
they have never been admitted to prac-
tice before the Supreme Court OF the
District of Columbia they are not amen
able to the discipline of such courts.
TT is hard to trap even those who
have never prActiced law and who yet
describe themselves in such a way as
to lead clients to believe that they are
really lawyers. They are usually lob
byists, receiving their only pay from
their employers, who, because they
know exactly the purpose for which
the lobbyist is employed, are In no
position to institute proceedings against
IL
ployers, do not part with their money
under any false pretenses.
while this situation is particularly
acute in the District of Columbia. 1t
exists in all parts Of the country in a
greater or lesser degree, and local legal
bodies are powerless. to act because
most of their business is conducted by
mail or telegraph and is interstate
commerce. In the meantime the ethi-
cal and legally qualified attorney-at-
law suffers from the stigma cast upon
the profession by such persons. A
business man would give short shrift
lobbyist but Mr.. So-and-so, attorney
or counselor, is apt to receive hear
ing.
LegisIa ton Held Only Curb.
"Only Federal legislation, closing the
use Of postal service, telegraph, tele-
phone. radio and other means Of inter-
state communication to the use of such
terms as counselor or attorney and
other such descriptive terms except by
duly qualified members Of the bar, can
help this situation. We will seek to bar
from using these terms any person who
has not been admitted to the practice
of law In the trial court in the place
from which he Is so representing him
self and also to have forbidden the use
of such descriptions by persons in any
business outside the legal profession.
we would have the law permit per-
sons admitted to practice In a given
Jurisdiction before courts other than
trial courts to so state on their once
doors and stationery. without describ-
ing themselves as attorneys at law, or
similar terms, and would also permit
persons practicing before governmental
departments to so state without describ-
ing themselves as lawyers.
I'VE believe that the passage of such
legislation by the Federal Government
will be a great step forward In putting
an end to lobbying Of the type that Is
fast becoming a national scandal and
1t will leave with the local courts and
bar associations the opportunity to hold
the entire legal profession up to its
highest standards and ethics. 49,.
Most Of these facts will be presented
by Mr.. Sullivan in his talk before the
American Bar Association and we are
hopeful of having that body take some
decisive action looking to action by the
Federal Government"