Yale University Law School - Yale Law Reporter Yearbook (New Haven, CT)

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116 Tllli YALE SIIINGLIC. legal study to whatever else they possessed, their dis- tinction would be far more solid and splendid. I know, however, that the res mzgusfcz a'om1', and the modern tendency to dally at the preparatory school through precious years that belong to the College course, will take the majority of our Seniors, next Fall, into the active work of the professiong but I bid you, who are of this number, farewell, not with- out some misgivings as to your future. There are those among you, as in all large classes that ever graduated from any institution of learning, who came to Yale rather as an institution of pleasure, or of necessity, with the aim of doing as little work as possible, and cutting all the exercises that the rules of the Faculty would permit. I dare say some of these men will do well at the bar, in spite of them- selves. Native wit and energy are worth far more to a man than anything books can teach. An occa- sional great effort, in a jury trial turning on questions of the weight of evidence, may give a reputation in the community, which overshadows that of many a learned lawyer, with less gifts of speech. But the community will learn before long whom it is safe to trust with important causes, and it will seldom be those who shirked their work in their preparatory studies. There are more of you who have tried to do your duty, and that means, of course, that you have done it, for an honest trial is achievement, in itself. You have worked all the harder when the subject was dry, or the lesson long. You have cultivated opportuni- ties for debate at the Kent Club, you have sat

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TIIIC YALE SIIINGLIC. IIS believe that as we were the Hrst school in England or America to establish a four years' course, so we still offer the best opportunity, in either country, to add a knowledge of jurisprudence to that of law, by a system of daily exercises and examinations. Nor do we feel unacquainted with the individual qualities of each of our third-year men. They are having, if they make the most of it-the best year of their course. The elements of the science to which they have devoted their lives are beneath their feet. They have acquired a stock of general ideas. They have learned to choose the important, and pass lightly over what is occasional or exceptional, in the subjects they pursue. They are applying knowledge already gained to new purposes, and in new directions. They have come to a point where they can rightly measure the relations of things in legal science. I feel reasonably sure of the success in life of a third-year man, whose recitations have shown me that he can apply old principles to new circumstances and conditions with promptness and intelligence. It is a subject of regret to the Faculty that so few of our men can or will take the third year. The fourth year I recommend to no man, who has not an ambition to be a scientific scholar in his profession-to know whatever is to be known of it. But a third year, either in a Law School, or under some good lawyer's instruction, I regard as almost a necessity for every man who would practice with distinction at the bar. Native talents, habits of mental discipline, acquire- ments in other sciences, may and do take its place with manyg but if they had added a third year of

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Tllli YALIC SlIlNllI,l'l. II7 through weary hours at Moot Courts, where the arguments you heard were mainly useful as showing you what was to be avoided, when your turn came. You bought the cases, instead of borrowing one just long enough before the recitation to give time to read the head-note. You made study first, and ath- letics, or society, second. As I write I have in my mind not a few Seniors of this make and record, on whom the world will set its stamp of approbation. The world of action is impa- tient to welcome to its ranks just such young men. There are places waiting for them-not high at first, but sure to pave the way to something better. There are always enough men to fill the ranks of the pro- fession, but never enough to serve as commanders, and in nothing else is promotion surer to come to merit than in the practice of law. And as I bid good-bye to the average man, I know that he too, will before long bring his bark to anchor in some safe harbor. He is, after all, as good as the rest of the world, for the most part, and a little bet- ter, for good fortune or kind Providence has given him a particularly pleasant kind of work todo. Such a man will often find business come to him more quickly than it does to one more talented and who may be so ambitious of great things as to neglect small ones. To all of you I would say, Donlt be impatient of immediate distinction. If you deserve it, it will come in good time. Don't be discouraged at small beginnings. They are the appointed lot of almost every young professional man. Don't forget to keep