LAW FOR THE LAWYERS

Attorney-General-Mitchell, speaking at the dedication of Yale's new Law Quadrangle, is quite right in declaring that the best public service of a law school lies in seeding the ranks of active lawyers with men of high calibre. The quality of judicial administration depends essentially upon individuals, upon the judges and lawyers. Large numbers of mediocre or incapable lawyers, even though honest, without the guidance of intelligent leaders inevitably hinder rather than further the aims of justice. In setting a high standard for itself and its graduates, a law school sets a high standard for all who practice the profession.

However, while a law school may supply the great men of the profession, no matter how fine its professors or how high its standards, it cannot by itself eliminate the poorer element. The present overcrowding in the legal profession forces many men to resort to unscrupulous practices. The existence of a situation such as this is made possible by the comparatively low requirements for permission to practice existing in many states; while the law school may set the maximum standard, the minimum is determined by the laws of these states. It is the duty of the law schools to make standards as high as possible, but it is just as much the office of the governments to maintain the minimum requirements at a sufficiently high level, by supervising more carefully the quality, and through quality, the quantity, of men admitted to the bar.