Students, however, generally find it sufficient to read William's and Goodeve's Real Property and Goodeve's Personal Property. Very few read William's on personal property. They read besides, various guides to the examination. In Law the prescribed Common book is Broom's Common Law. Indermauer's Common Law is, however, read in addition to or instead of Broom by the students. For Equity the prescribed book is Snell's Equity. The matter of the examination changes almost every year. Thus, while generally a competent knowledge of the English laws is required, special subjects are prescribed every year. For instance, for Equity they sometimes prescribe certain portions only (e.g., trusts, mortgages, etc.) from White and Tudor's Leading Cases in Equity.
Those, however, who are well grounded in the general principles of law do not find it difficult to pass. The latest prospectus1 of the Council of Legal Education is appended hereto. A notion seems to prevail in many quarters that students are called to the bar without any examinations or that the examinations are a farce. Both these statements are entirely without foundation and inventions of fertile brains. No doubt the examinations are easy or, rather, found to be easy. The results are generally good. There are two or three reasons for the examinations being found easy. In the first place, they take place four times every year. So, then, if a student fails, the failure does not shock him so much as it does in India. In England he can re-appear in three months. Secondly, the time at the student's disposal for preparation is ample. While both the examinations are a year's work at the rate of 6 hours per day, to ensure success there are clear two years at the student's disposal. So, then, the preparation can be made with a light heart and without having to work hard. Whether it is good that more than sufficient time should be given for preparation is another question altogether, but let there be only three months for preparing for the examinations and we shall have cutting [sic] results and a different verdict. Thirdly, there are many facilities for study in the shape of tutors, etc. It is only in rare cases that tutors should be resorted to. It is a useless waste of money. And a tutored student never goes beyond what is required and forgets what he has learnt soon after the examination. Such is the experience of many. Nothing like selfpreparation.
