Page:North Dakota Law Review Vol. 1 No. 2 (1924).pdf/2



"At the invitation of the Hennepin County Bar Association, I had the honor of representing the North Dakota Bar at their meeting held in Minneapolis, December 18, 1924, which was called to act upon the Bill proposed by the Minnesota State Bar Association to the coming legislature of Minnesota for the reorganization of their Bar Association.

"Since 1920 the Minnesota State Bar Association has been endeavoring to have passed by the Legislature a law similar to ours. At the 1923 session of their legislature a bill was introduced, but on opposition from a certain group of attorneys it was not passed. A new bill has been drafted in an endeavor to meet these objections which chiefly related to the power of the Association and its Board of Governors to discipline and disbar members of the Association.

"I was requested to explain the plan of our organization and our experience with it. I told them of the successful operation of our Association under the compulsory plan of organization.

"At the invitation of the committee in charge of the bill for the Ramsey County Bar Association I met with them at St. Paul on the 19th inst., and gave them my observations of the successful operation of our plan of organization.

"The bill to be introduced at the coming session of their legislature is essentially the same as our Bar Board and Bar Association Acts, and provides for an annual license fee from every practicing lawyer. The Meetings at Minneapolis and St. Paul, with few dissenting voices, endorsed the bill, and similar meetings are being held in the several judicial districts of the state, and, I have no doubt, will result in similar endorsement of the bill and of the plan under which we are operating.

"I extended to the Bench and Bar of both cities fraternal greetings, and was asked to convey to North Dakota Bench and Bar their greetings and best wishes.

"The suggestion was made by them that a joint annual meeting of the Minnesota and North Dakota Bar Association be held at some time in the future, and that we cooperate in arranging for speakers, and that an exchange of speakers at annual meetings be considered. I mention this as an evidence of the very cordial feeling which exists toward the Bench and Bar of North Dakota."

A. W. Cupler,

President.

The referendum ballotting for recommendations to the Supreme Court for the appointment of a successor to Hon. C. J. Fisk on the State Bar Board was closed on the 20th of December. At that time 277 ballots had been cast. The total number of names listed on the ballots was 154. A large number of these received only one or two votes each.