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The Green Bag

receive some discussion. While many of them are undoubtedly liberal in their attitude toward scientiﬁc research, in the law as well as in other ﬁelds, we believe we are safe in saying that too

The next case I have, I will come to you again, and between us we will run

that court right or bust ourselves a-try ing."

many of our universities, particularly

THE JURYMEN'S AVERAGE

of the younger or smaller institutions, are handicapped by inadequate endow

FAMILIARITY with the simpler problems of arithmetic is desir able even in the jury box, a fact that

ments or by that utilitarian spirit which hesitates to make any expenditure with

was brought home in striking fashion

out the prospect of an immediate return.

to a Cincinnati lawyer not long since.

And doubtless there are too many profes

This gentleman was counsel for plain tiff in a suit brought to recover damages caused by a runaway horse. His client had been knocked down and slightly

sors of law in every way ﬁtted to perform valuable research work, who are forced to spend a disproportionate share of their time in teaching and administra tive duties. The American bar, while it has no institutions like Inns of Court

injured, just enough upon which to base a suit.

to endow legal scholarships, may well

The lawyer had a very strong case. In fact, there was practically no de

interest itself in the cause of legal research to the extent of urging that

fence, and the defendant was a rich

our law schools make from time to time more liberal provision for it as

thousand dollars, hoping to get half

circumstances may demand.

When the jury came in, they rendered a verdict for the plaintiff, with damages

RUNNING THE COURT RIGHT OT long ago a country justice of the peace in a southwestern town called upon a retired attorney, and, after presenting a statement of facts, asked,

as a matter of friendship, for a legal opinion upon them. This the attorney gave. When he had ﬁnished, the "squire" rose, deposited three dollars and seventy-ﬁve cents upon his aston ished friend's desk, and said: "Well, those are just the facts in a case I am a-going to try next Thursday in my court, and I knew you would

man; so

the lawyer asked

for

two

that amount.

assessed at eight thousand six hundred and eighty-seven dollars. The judge, of course, promptly set the verdict aside as excessive, and the lawyer had to

begin over again. Some days later the lawyer met the foreman of the jury, and asked how on earth the jurors had arrived at such a

verdict. “It ain't quite clear to me, myself," said the foreman. “We all agreed for the plaintiff on the ﬁrst vote, but each fellow had his own ideas as to the dam age. I was in favor of one thousand

give me the right kind of an opinion,

dollars, another man thought it ought

which is why I came to you.

to be two thousand dollars, and another stuck out for seven hundred dollars, and we were getting all tangled up, when some one suggested that we strike an average.” "But you couldn't have done that,” said the lawyer.

The costs

in that case will be just seven dollars and a half, and I am willing to divide

with you. When I was a candidate, some of the people in my county said I didn't know enough to run this oﬁice so I intend to show them that I do.