Evening star., 1933-04-01
knowledge of Law, Expert.
ence in Social Work and
s'Horse Sense" Urged.
GROUP SEEKS SUCCESSOR
TO KATHRYN SELLERS
Mabel Walker Willebrandt, Spon.
sor of Conference, and DR..
White Among Speakers.

Washington's next Juvenile Court
judge must be a man or woman with
common horse sense" and also COM
b.nlng wide experience In the law and
social service.
This was the unanimous agreement
today Of leading legal, police, medical
and social work authorities, expressed
at an Institute on Social Jurisprudence
called yesterday by prominent local cit
izens interested In obtaining for the
Capital the person best fitted to sue
ceed Judge Kathryn Sellers.
Mabel Walker Willebrandt, former
Assistant Attorney General and g
sponsor of the conference, whose sub
jects embraced THE Child, the Law
and the Court" said in an impromptu
address:
There Is no more important Judge
ship in the United States than the
Juvenile Court judgeship, not even the
Supreme Court of the United States.
"The appointment or election of g
Juvenile Court Judge is the most i'm
portant thing that a community car
act upon"
Other Notables Speak.
Her words were echoed by Justin
Miller, dean of the Duke University
Law School, chairman Of the Section
on Criminal Law and Criminology o1
the American Bar Association, and vice
president Of the National Probation
Association: Henrietta Addition, deputy
commissioner Of police, New York City;
DR.. William A. White, noted psycti-
artist and superintendent of st. Eliza
beth's Hospital, and Edgar M. Ger
ZACH, assistant supervisor of the pro-
baton system in United States courts
Mrs. Willebrandt, recalling her expe-
rience years ago In California legal and
social service work, said she claimed
"a hangover interest in social work
life" She listed the three attributes
necessary to a competent Juvenile court
judge in the following order:
/. Common horse sense.
2. knowledge of the law
8. Experience in social service.
Divergent View Voiced.
James S. Owens, probation director of
the Department of Correction, New
York state, however, said that being an
attorney was the minimum requirement
necessary. He argued that with COM
petent case supervision little can hap
pen to harm the organization of treat
ment." The knowledge of the func-
tions of the social service agencies, he
said, was the prime ability necessary in
a children's court judge, also the will
ingness to use the agencies rather than
attempt to carry out the cure himself
Dean Miller's topic, which he chose
himself, was Should a Juvenile Court
Judge Be a lawyer" a question now
L1L faI he
porters of the various known candidates
for the post here.
Like a good lawyer, the dean argued
both sides of the question, but left the
audience to draw its own conclusion
After pointing out the sociological short
comings of a vast majority of the
lawyers and the lack of adequate legal
knowledge on the part Of as many So
cial workers, he wound up by advo-
eating profession of juvenile court
judges, type Of person with col
lege degree in law and social service
work and a humanitarian.
Law Students Increase.
An outstanding advocate of revision
OF the country's laws and legal pro-
cedure, Dean Miller disclosed that
every year more and more students are
entering his school.
Miss Addition, the country's only wo-
man deputy police commissioner, ex-
pressed wonder why social workers have
never paid more attention to the po-
lice in carrying out their work. She
cited the accomplishments in New York
City, where the Crime Prevention Bu-
reau, which she heads, has removed
thousands OF boys from the streets, al
nx,tn
into the Police Athletic League and
formed base ball and boxing clubs.
which have so interested the children
and youths that at game staged ip the
Polo Grounds last year 10000 children
attended "and had the time Of their
lives" AS result of this police ac-
tivity, Miss Addition said, the children
OF New York have forsaken the old
cry, Cheese it, the cops" and now
are friendly with policeman on the
beat and seek his counsel and advice.
Juvenile Correction Urged.
"Our crime prevention work aims to
cut of crime by juvenile correction
work." she said. "It is the only way
you are going to stop crime.
Public agencies, including the court,
however, should be careful to leave in
the minds Of children feeling of
respect for the law, a feeling that it
Is part Of their lives and that it is
something they should be interested in"
Miss Addition asserted there ARE very
few courts which live up to the STAN
dards set for them," adding:
THE whole question of whether
children should be kept out of courts
depends on whether the courts or the
police department is better fitted to do
the necessary corrective work.
Juvenile courts are dangerous If not
well run, especially whenever they tend
to remove the constitutional rights to
which the child Is entitled.
Whenever you let politicians come
IN and color the procedure in chill
drens court, then say would rather
have any child am interested In go