Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-23
Warren Urges
Aid by All 10
Speed Trials
Jurist Addresses
Law Institutes
Opening Session
BY WILLIAM A. MILLEN

A call for aid by bench, bar
and Congress in speeding up
court trials was made today by
Chief Justice Earl Warren as he
addressed the opening session
of the American Law Institutes
i33d annual meeting at the May
flower Hotel.
with hard work and the CO.
operation Of all concerned, the
evil of delay in administering
Justice can be overcome" the
Ijurist asserted.
But he told the convention.
largest held by the institute, with
1000 attending:
There are Federal courts in
the United States where the
conditions cry out for relief. The
Judicial Conference has recon-
mended additional judgeships,
but the bills to provide for them
languish in the Congress. The
consequences in the hardship to
litigants caused by the unavoid-
able delays and the discourage
ment and in some instances
premature aging and breaking
lof health of the judges are
|lamentable. 1t is presumed from
what has been heard and read
that there are like conditions in
some of the States. The remedy
is in an awakening of the public
to the Importance of effective
courts for a good society and a
strong Nation"
Praise From Eisenhower
President Eisenhower sent a
letter to George Wharton Pepper.
chairman of the institutes coun-
Gil, congratulating him for 1.-THE
inspiring leadership which you
have brought to this distin-
guished group of lawyers for
more than a quarter of a CEN
tury." Mr.. Eisenhower also paid
tribute to the Institutes "out-
standing contribution" to "clari-
flying, codifying and crystallizing
our basic legal concepts"
Mr.. Pepper, a former Senator
from Pennsylvania, opened the
session. He told the delegates
the Chief Justice comes to us
at a moment in history when
the stability of our Republic is
again being tested. Our most
cherished institution-the Su-
preme Courts again under at
tack and while the court is
fully able to take care of itself,
lit doubtless realizes that one of
its elements of strength is the
confidence of the American bar"
Help Of All Urged
Chief Justice Warren told the
gathering:
I'VE need your active help. We
need the help of every lawyer
and every judge. Until every
litigant in every judicial district
has his case heard and decided
finally in a reasonable length of
time we cannot rightly point to
our legal system with either
pride or satisfaction"
He suggested that a sentiment
be developed among lawyers by
expressions of bar associations
and the example of respected
members of the bar either to de-
cline retainerS in cases that can
not be tried in reasonable
time or engage more trial law
yers to handle them.
He paid tribute to the attitude
of the bar in the District of CO.
lumbia regarding pretrial con-
ferenceS. He said the attitude
of the bar here. at first cool if
not hostile. thawed as lawyers
saw the working of the new pro-
cedure. resulting in more bust
ness by the courts. quicker dis
position of cases and the ability
to earn fees more quickly.
While there has been some i'm
Iprovement in the criminal court
calendar, the Chief Justice said
the civil cases continue to in
crease steadily. He pointed out
the District has shown improve
ment in the civil calendar in dis
posing of cases.