The people's voice., 1941-08-20

IL is recalled tnat 1t was not accom-
plished by legislative act in Idah
until, after several defeats engineere,
by lawyers of the legislative judiciar,
committees, as in Montana, it was OF
the third or fourth trial taken from
the judiciary committees of the Idah,
legislature, referred to the agricul
tural committees and prompt,
passed. Farmers of Montana shoult
ponder the deep significance of tina
fact. Bar integration will be a goot
thing for the farmers of Montana a.
well as for the lawyers and the pub
lie generally unless the experience il
this state should be quite different
from that in every other state where
it has been tried.
''The common people," Mr.. Maury
says, do not know exactly why but
they fear, distrust and hate us (the
lawyers) as a class" OF course they
do; and they do know exactly why. .
It is because we have "as class" the
reputation of being crooks, scoundrels
and shysters. A few of us in every
state are just exactly that and we all
take the standing in public estimation
of the lowest among us. A young
widow, who had recently come into
her reward through the death of her
rich and elderly husband, when the
subject of lawyers came up for dis
cussion at a social gathering, thus
ozppoccad barcoJf.
Huh. Don't talk to me about law
yers. I've had so much trouble with
lawyers since my husband died that
sometimes | wish he had died"
One of the objects, but by no means
the only one, of the integrated and
all-inclusive bar, is to regain public
respect and esteem for the profession.
1t seeks to bring every member of
the bar of the state into the organ
ization and to give such organization,
subject to control of the supreme
court, self-governing power and au
thority, including the power to dis
cipline its own members when they
stray from the straight and narrow
path of professional rectitude. Many
laymen think we have that now and
often reproach us for not exercising
it, But we do not have it. That
power is lodged with the supreme
court and the exercise Of it is a heavy
burden on that tribunal. 1t is an ex-
Densiye procedure, too. For those
.wo reasons it is seldom exercised.
The testimony of the supreme courts
If the states having the integrated
BAR is, without exception, that lodg-
nent of the disciplinary power with
he bar itself, subject always to re-
7iew by the court, has had a most
standards of the bar as a whole. 1t
las also been good thing for the
alsely accused lawyer, for many of
hem are falsely accused by disap-
pointed and dissatisfied clients. With
he disciplinary power readily at hand
md easily invoked, the necessity for
is exercise has greatly diminished in
states having the integrated bar, and |
he bar has been free to devote itself
o more pleasant and constructive
Ictivities for it's own and the public |
,ood, including the judicial council, |
s to which Mr.. Maury confessed his
ack of information at the recent |
Suite annual meeting. The work and
ctivities of such a council are too
nany and too involved to detail here.
such a council is composed of law
ers and judges and it's work is to
o things for the betterment and sim
LITIGATION of laws, to make the adj
of justice less expensive,
peedier and more effective. To the
accomplishment of those ends such
ouncils have been powerful factors