Evening star., 1942-09-13
Law Schools Expect
Drop in Enrolment
As Result Of War
Droft to Force Some
To Close, Others Merge,
Says Prof. Cheothum
BY GEORGE d. BEvERIDGE.

Df H. T..
An appreciate decrease of enroll
ment due directly to wartime con-
| ditiOns probably will be felt by law
schools this fall, educational leaders
believe.
Prof. Elliott Cheatham of Colum-
bia University law school, presi-
dent of the Association of American
Law Schools, said in report at the
recent annual meeting of the Amer
lcan Bar Association at Detroit that
a great majority of law schools
throughout the country will suffer
severe hardships due to the war,
some probably will close and others
may merge until conditions are re-
lieved.
Since law Students generally are
eligible for induction into the AIMED
forces, as far as age and occupa-
ton are concerned, it was pointed
out by Dean William c. Van Week
Of George Washington University
law school the draft has and will
quite naturally" take a heavy toll.
Sees Shortage of Lawyers.
George M. Morris, Washington
lawyer and newly-elected president
of the American Bar Association.
believes there may be a shortage of
lawyers.
Mr.. Morris estimated that there
are now approximately 10000 law
yers in the Army, and added that
a great many more have left their
practices to enter Government de-
partments. The Importance of law
is magnified everywhere in wartime,
he said, because SO many things
get out of adjustment"
Another factor which may inf1u-
ence enrolment in Washington law
schools is a District Court ruling
that persons applying for admission
to the District bar after July |,
1914, must have had law school work
preceded by two years prelegal
training at recognized school. If
the law school studies were begun
after September /, 1899. AS a re-
suit of the ruling several District
law schools have raised requirements
to the two-year lprelegal training
where previously only a high school
education had been required.
G. w. Lowers Requirements.
The George Washington University
law school, however. as lowered its
| entrance requirements from a college
degree to two years prelegal train
| ing. The regular law school degree
may be obtained after four wears
/ day school, or after three years il
summer school is attended each year
According to DR. James A. West
president of Southeastern Univer-
sity, law school curricula, unlike
those in other courses where degrees
are sought, cannot be readily accel-
Grated or condensed, and SO this
year remain basically as they have
been in the past Southeastern viii
operate on the quarter system" ot
TOUR terms-12-week summer, fall
winter and spring sessions.
Four-Year Night Course.
Columbus University offers four.
year night school course leading te
the degree of Bachelor of Laws. ane
! several new courSeShave been added
DR.. James j. Hayden. dean. an.
nounced. Included in the new sub.
jects are administrative law and ac.
counting for lawyers. Courses in.
cluded in the Master of Laws degree
curriculum include Latin American
Law, administrative law. Fedora
trade regulation, jurisprudence ane
aviation law
Columbus has also swung to tn,
quarter system" of terms, ant
opened its first summer school ses
sionS this year. The degree cours,
may be completed in three years b,
attending summer school each yeal
Dean Hayden said. A large enroll
ment of women is expected at tn
school this year, he added. This i
CSee LAW, Page F-4)