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The Green Bag
didate's grasp of fundamental legal prin ciples. It takes something besides a re tentive memory to make a good lawyer; desirable as an accurate memory is, overemphasis on this requirement cannot help setting a false standard, and admit ting to practice many who have not the rudiments of a legal education. It is not to be denied that candidates for the bar should be familiar with the law of the state in which they intend to practice, and that they should be examined largely if not chiefly with a view to testing their knowledge in this respect. But it is equally important that they should have a general knowl edge of the common law and its his torical development and modification in the particular state, and of the legal principles underlying decisions of state courts which lead to rulings in particu lar cases and may not be completely expressed in the final disposition of controversies. The action of the New York City Bar Association may well serve as an example to other bar associations, which should give heed to the quality of the examina tions held in their respective states, and endeavor, by direct or indirect pressure, to raise the standards for admission to the bar by every means within their power. HAPPENINGS IN COURT AMOTION for an injunction and receiver was being resisted before Judge Adelor Petit of the Circuit Court, in Chicago, a judge that has acquired quite a reputation because of continual newspaper attacks upon him. "This is simply a political intrigue to kill my client's hopes as aldermanic candidate of the 7th Ward!" exclaimed his political attorney, handing a news paper clipping to the judge. "Just look at that article about him."
The judge glanced at the long article, pushed it aside, and with a smile said, "Ah, that is nothing, nothing. It isn't a hundredth part as bad as they say about me every once in a while. He will get used to that." The lawyer withdrew with his client from the court room after a very bitterly contested motion for temporary ali mony. In the hall he turned to his client and asked : — "Say, you heard your husband in there make some very serious charges against you and threaten to file a cross bill. Can he prove anything like that?" "Well, I should say not! Every word of it was a lie." Then after a few moments of silence, she added, meekly, "Say, how many witnesses would he have to have?" The military court had been more or less interrupted in their session, and all the officers on it had become more or or less irritated. Finally the Judge Advocate asked for a short recess until a certain witness for the prosecution would arrive, as otherwise there would be a break in the chain of evidence. "Don't you think," interrupted one of the officers on the court, rather sar castically, "that the intelligence of this court is sufficient to supply that link in the testimony if it is introduced later?" The Judge Advocate reddened; he hesitated, and then sputtered out, "Per haps — perhaps, sir — it is possible, sir." The accused was on trial before a military court and was seated near his counsel, when a witness was brought in and"Do asked youthe know formal thequestion: accused?— If so, state who he is." The witness looked at the prisoner, and then at his counsel, hesitated a
