Evening star., 1953-02-11
j. CourtHer
Limits Practice
ToBarMembers
Out-of-
Law Firms Chiefly
Affected by Rule
BY WiIIiom A. MiIIen


They say it will better protect
the public in its dealing with
the law and lawyers.
In brief. the q. S. District
Court for the District of Colum-
bia is cracking down on lawyers
who practice general law here
without being admitted to It's
bar.
The new rule adopted last
Thursday says no person who
is not a member of the bar of
OF the court shall engage In
the general practice of law here,
or represent himself as being
authorized to do so.
Agencies Not Involved.
It does not apply to practice
before other Federal courts or
Executive departments, Govern
ment boards, commissions or
agencies.
The District Court now can
hold violatorS in contempt. The
Committee on Unauthorized
Practice of the Law of the Dis
trict Bar Association will be a
watchdog to see that the new
provision Is obeyed.
In addition, the Committee on
Admissions and Grievances of
the court will be on its toes to
insure that the new rule is OBJ
served, according to its secretary,
Gilbert L. Hall.
Chief Judge Bolitha j. Laws, a
former president of the Bar As
Sociation, signed the rule after
it was adopted by the court. He
acted after a committee of law
yers laid the problem before him.
Effect Of Rule.
A leader in the long fight has
been Richard L. Merrick, a di-
rector of the association. He
said he drafted the proposed rule
originally. Mr.. Merrick saw this
erect of its adoption:
Law firms out Of the city
with Offices here who have a
great many names on their doors
of attorneys who are not adj
mitted to practice here will either
Have to take those names OF. or
procure admittance to District
Court of the attorneys compriS-
ing their firms who are not al
ready admitted.
"Also, those individuals who
come to the District and become
admitted to the U. S. Court Of
Appeals for the District Of Co
lurnbia or the Supreme Court OF
the United States, and then open
ofdces and put on their doors
their names, indicating that they
are engaged in the general prac-
tice of the law, will have to be-
come admitted to the District
Court or discontinue so holding
themselves out.
They might do that by indi-
eating they are engaged in ad-
miniStrative departmental prac-
tice only.
May Affect Listing.
"Also. in the classified section
Of the telephone directory, many
Of these attorneys from out Of
town who are not admitted to
the District Court have their
names listed under the heading
Of lawyers. It is, my view that
those classif1cationS will have
to be changed because they in
dicate to the general public that
those attorneys are authorized
to practice law generally"
Roger Robb, chairman Of the
Committee on the Unauthorized
Practice of Law, said his aSSoci-
alton has been trying for years
to restrain lawyers who come
here and practice although they
are not members of the local bar
and are not subject to the diSci-
pline of the local courts.
He pointed out that if a WASH
ington lawyer gets in trouble, he
can be disbarred.
when a man comes here and
wants to be plumber or elec-
trician, he has to take an ex-
animation" Mr.. Robb continued.
But these lawyers are practicing
here without taking any exami-
nation and without being tested
by the court.
1.-THE effect Of this new rule
will be to curb these persons who
have practiced law here without
being licensed to do so."
s Sees 100 Affected.
Mr. Robb estimated that be-
tween IS and 100 lawyers are
directly affected by the new rule,
but other estimates run even
higher. The chairman pointed
out that Washington has prob
ably the highest proportion Of
lawyers of any city in the Ma
ton. He said the District is
second or third in lawyers per
capita, compared with the States.
He said the telephone book lists
some 3,400 lawyers.
!. Preston c. King, jr., president
Of the District Bar Association,
said, however, there are probably
$500 lawyers in the District.
s'The rule Is designed to pre-
vent setting up general practice
in the District, unless one Is a
member of the District Court
bar. Primarily, it is for the
protection Of the public" Mr..
King said. For unless a lawyer
has been tested by examination
or reciprocity through the bar Of
another State, the public is not
protected as to his qualifications.
There is no assurance he is
qualified and knows what he is
doing"