Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 01.pdf/180

 Columbia College Law School. stituted course of study. There is, however, still open an opportunity for evading the preliminary examination, since the rule is not applied to those who have been admitted in other States and who come to New York to practise. It would have a great influence in promoting the cause of legal education, if such regulations could be made uniform, at least in substance, throughout the country.

How can the practi tioners in law be called a learned profession, when one who is profoundly ignorant of arithmetic, orthography, or English or American history, not to say Latin, and every modern language, can be made a lawyer with out any demur, as he can be in some of our States, through the good will of examining Boards? The New York method is un questionably the cor rect one, as it commits to an independent body of men the duty of inquiring into a student's general at tainments in other CHARLES branches of study be sides the law. The only ground for criticism is that the prelimi nary examination does not embrace as many subjects as are desirable, though this defect may perhaps erelong be supplied. There are thus, at present, two parallel modes of going to the bar in the State of New York : one is partly through the law schools and partly through the law offices; the other, exclusively through clerkship in an office. The former is expensive; the latter is without expense, and in some in stances slightly remunerative. In each J method the court directs the examination 22

I

157

for admission to practice. It is creditable to the young men studying the law, that they still crowd the law schools, notwith standing that they have no exclusive privi leges. This many of them do with much labor and self-sacrifice to procure the neces sary means. Their motive is to obtain systematic knowledge. It should be added, as to the tuition fees in Columbia, that they are considerably re duced in favor of such students as are shown I by proper evidence to be in want of sufficient pecuniary means and are at the same time faithful to their stud ies. Their fidelity is tested every half-year by a certificate of the Warden of their satis factory attendance as shown by the college books, and of their proficiency as ascer tained by conference with their instructors. In recent years, owingamongothcr things to the great increase in the number of stu dents, it has been de termined to augment P. DALY. the tests of attendance and proficiency. To this end a series of prize tutorships was es tablished, three in number. These tutors are selected from the leading students in their classes, hold office for three years, and are so classified that one goes out of office each year. An exercise under the charge of these 'tutors, known by the students as a "quiz," meets with great favor and is largely attended, particularly in the case of those tutors who develop an aptitude for the successful performance of their duties. The attendance is voluntary and without charge.