Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 19.pdf/522

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Published Monthly at £4.00 per Annum. Single Numbers 50 Cents. Communications in regard to the contents of the Magazine should be addressed to the Editor, S. R. Wrightington, 31 State Street, Boston, Mass. The Editor will be glad to receive contributions of articles of moderate length upon subjects of interest to the profession; also anything in the way of legal antiquities, facetim, and anecdotes. LEGAL ETHICS The recent discussions of legal ethics are continued by two magazine articles. In the June Putnam's (V. ii, p. 293) Frederick Tre vor Hill briefly discusses instances of what he regards as dishonesty connived at by lawyers. Although the propriety of his criticisms of some of these examples one would hardly dispute, the force of his article is weakened by the fact that he includes the defense of the statute of limitations among these. In the Independent of April 18th (V. lxii, p. 908). Julius Henry Cohen writes of " A Code of Ethics for Law yers." He criticises the theory that even a guilty criminal is entitled to legal services to see that his rights are preserved, apparently on the ground that he has no rights. He too seems to regard the statute of limitations as an improper defense. While it is admitted by none more readily than the lawyers that the opportunities for dishonesty in the practice of their profession are frequent and the more reprehensible since occurring in the process of the attainment of justice it seems that the pendulum has swung a little too far in criticism of the profession, when the plea of a statutory right enacted by the people presumably upon grounds of public policy is attributed as an offense against morals and justice. It is hoped that the code which is being prepared for the American Bar Associa tion will clarify ideas both within and without the profession concerning this most important subject. AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION The annual meeting of the American Bar Association will be held at Portland. Maine, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, August

26th to 28th, at the beginning instead of at the end of the week as heretofore. This change is due to the meetings of the Inter national Law Association, which will follow it on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, at the same place. The meetings of the Association of American Law Schools will be held during the sessions of the Bar Association, the Con ference on Uniform State Laws being held at the close of the week before. The meetings will be held in the city building. On Monday morning, President Parker will deliver his review of statute law of the past year and Monday evening Charles F. Amidon, U. S. District Judge for the district of North Dakota, will give a paper on " The Nation and the Constitution," and Charles A. Prouty of Vermont, member of the U. S. Interstate Commerce Commission, a paper on "A De partment of Railways; Its Legal Necessity." Tuesday will be devoted to reports of commit tees and on Wednesday morning Right Hon orable James Bryce, the British Ambassador, will deliver the annual address on " The Influ ence of National Character and Historical Environment on the Development of the Common Law." On Thursday the Cumber land Bar will give an excursion by steamship among the islands of Casco Bay, ending with a New England clam-bake. The program of the International Law Association includes addresses by Mr. Justice Kennedy and Mr. Justice Elliott of the English High Court and by eminent jurists of many other countries. The attractions of Portland in August and the fact that so many lawyers make their summer homes in northern New England will insure a large attendance at meet'ngs, affording such an opportunity as this.