Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 15.pdf/152

 Education for the English Bar in the Inns of Court. lectured to the Societies annually. The stu dents learned their law from their private reading, and participation in the moot cases. The most important factor in their training came from these moots, of which there were many kinds. The Inns of Court were great legal societies rather than schools in the mod ern sense. The youngest students, the newfledged barristers, and the older members of the profession, the Benchers, all participated,

library of Gray's Inn, and moots held in the chambers of the barristers. In the last case they were designated "bolts," and took the form of question-putting more than formal argument. A kind of case system seems to have flourished. The two most important kinds of moots were those held in the Inns of Chancery, and those of the Inns of Court. The former considered simple questions, and were participated in by the students of

I.INCOLN S INN HALL.

though with due regard to seniority, in the conduct of the moots, and together disputed legal points. A distinct legal atmosphere at all times permeated the Inns. Questions emanating from the Bench tables passed through all the Hall, and were discussed by the barristers and students over their ale, and then were returned to the Benchers for decision. There were moots held in the ancient Chapel of the Temple, moots held in the

the Inns of Chancery, who were as yet trained only in the rudiments of the law. These moots were in charge of the utter bar risters of the Inns of Court, and were mod elled after those held in the Societies to which the barristers belonged. Mooting in the Inns of Court was one of the most important of the duties of the mem bers, even after they had received their call to the bar. In the Middle Temple during term time all the utter barristers had to per