Evening star., 1943-09-05
Protest Meeting Set
On Montgomery Ban
On Outside Lawyers
By T. B. ZATMAN.


A protest meeting of lawyers from
Montgomery and Prince Georges
counties will be held at 8 pm.
Wednesday at the Indian Spring
Country Club as the result of a ru-
ing restricting attorneys from prac-
ticing before the Montgomery Coun-
ty Circuit Court uness they are
members of the County Bar.
The ruling, effective October /,
was issued recently by Chief Judge
Edward S. Delaplane and Associate
Judges Charles w. Woodward, Sted-
man Prescott and Patrick M.
Schnauffer of the Sixth Maryland
Judicial Circuit, which comprises
Montgomery and Frederick counties.
1t provides that all actions car
ried on in the Montgomery County
Circuit Court, with the exception
Of those brought by the plaintiffs
themselves, shall be conducted by
enrolled members of the County
Bar. Members of other bar asso-
Citations may bring such proceedings
provided they are associated with
regular members Of the Montgom-
cry Bar Association.
Ruling Called Outrageous"
Under the ruling, members in
good standing of the Maryland
Court of Appeals, who regularly
maintain bona fide Offices In Mont
gomery County for the practice of
law and who spend a reasonable
amount Of time" in such offices,
shall be eligible to become members
Of the Montgomery Bar on making
application in writing on forms pro-
vided by the Circuit Court clerk.
Describing the ruling as "out-
rageous"- and "unjustified," one
prominent Montgomery County at
torney, who maintains offices in
Washington but who also has a
large practice. in Montgomery
County, said at least 25 lawyers
living in the suburban area of the
county are affected by the new law.
This ruling" he said, would de-
prive large number of lawyers, who
have clients in Montgomery County
but who maintain Offices in Wash
ington for business and personal
reasons, of their livelihood. In ad-
dition, it affects many Prince
Georges County attorneys who often
carry on actions in Montgomery
County"
He pointed out that If such a
ruling were applied to doctors, a
physician living in Washington
could not treat patient living in
Montgomery County.
. Would Bar a Magistrate.
Among Montgomery County at
torneys who would be prohibited
from practicing before the Circuit
Court unless, as one attorney said,
they split fees" with a member of
the county bar are Judge Albert E.
Brault, trial magistrate at the
Bethesda Police Court and county
civilian defense director; Joseph A.
Cantrel, former attorney for the
county commissioners, and Roger
White, who last year was an un-
successful candidate for the County
Charter Board.
Judge Woodward maintained,
however, that the ruling is the result
OF long study and was authorized
at the last session of the State
Legislature.
y Declaring that the County Bar
Association has urged such ruling,
for the last 10 years. Judge Wood
ward pointed out that a similar
ruling is in effect in Howard
County.
: Ben G. Wilkinson, former States
Attorney and a member Of the
county delegation to the General
Assembly, who is understood to have
introduced the measure in the
Legislature, could not to reached
for comment. James w. Gill and
Robert H. Hunter, both of whom
are attorneys and who are members
of the county delegation, also could
not be reached
There is no such ruling in the
District or in nearby Virginia.