University of Nebraska College of Law - Yearbook (Lincoln, NE)

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LEGAL ETHICS 7 This leads to books useful to lawyers as lawyers, or as the best informed class in society. I omit books of law, for your course has given you general knowledge to guide your purchase to full limit of your means, and practice will advance skill to choose faster than means to buy a law library. Every young lawyer should own and be familiar with Cieero's Moral Essays and Sharswood's Legal Ethics, and own the best eyelopedia and lexicon his means can buy. Of high literature in fields of history, oratory, romance, and poetry, a well informed friend and aid of library and catalogue will guide. He cannot do better than buy as many of the best as possible. Liable to be called into, and more or less expecting to take part in public affairs, he ought to have and read Leeky's History of Civilization, Herbert Speneer's Synthetic Philosophy, those parts relating to evolution of society, to the family, and to par- ent and child, VVake's Kinship and Marriage, Morganls Ancient Society-a highly instructive and philosophic work by an Amer- ican of so rare merit that, translated, it went through three Ger- man editions, and was familiar to German philosophers before appreciated at home or the first American edition exhausted. An army must have an arsenal, and a soldier a cartridge box. The lawyer called often to debate must have his fvacle mecam whence, as occasion arises, by perfect familiarity he can draw metaphor and illustration as point to argument or repartee. There are but two such books in our language-Kiing James, ver- sion of the Bible, and Shakespeare. They are each a wealth of illustration and metaphor. Make them yours inorat familiar friends. The Bible is unrivalled in purity, condensation, and power of plain Saxon. Saxon is the basis of modern English. The layman use most wholly plain Saxon words. The man who sits in the jury box speaks and understands it. Make yourself master of the plain Saxon vigor of the Bible and you can make a strong argument which the juryman can comprehend. I hope something I have done, suggested, or said may rouse to higher thought and aspiration and be remembered and of advan- tage to you. I wish you each may merit and attain abundant success to your utmost desire. lf at any time I can aid you in perplexity, come to me and so oblige me and please me. New it remains only to say good bye.

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74 THE DIGEST Be loyal to the client always, prefer his interest to your own, keep his counsel inviolate, avoid other than professional business with him, neither buy of him or sell to him. It may smirch your honor. Let not a business day pass with a collection unremitted. Do not use or speculate on it or pass a day for pleasure of carry- ing it. If channels of commerce have not closed, remit the day received, at all events the first business day. Control yourself. Never appear surprised and thrown 011' your poise. Observe this especially at critical times in trial or debate. Composure will carry you by many a danger that per- turbation may betray to your adversary of which he is unaware. Never show violent or sudden anger or yet elation, except under extraordinary circumstances, better seem cold than mercurial. Be always courteous. Whatever his rivalry with associates a. lawyer should always have brotherly regard for them, without jealousy or quarrel. To the young lawyer be kind as a father, give him use of your ofiice, library, counsel, and assistance, as freely as to your child. Never be guilty of brow-beating, bully- ing or discourtesy to witness, party, or counsel, no good end can be gained or good cause served by it. In choosing its lawgivers and governmental agents society takes ratably more lawyers than others because they have studied the 1'elations of persons and property and are fitted for the service. This casts on the bar duty to study political economy and the philosophy of social development as well as law. No pursuit so requiresa large fund of general information. To try his cause the laxvyeriliaflay have to study any branch of science, mechanics, chemistrygsmedicine, surgery, art, or even dry dogmatic creeds. It were futile to enumerate. He cannot have all books, nor be- fore entering practice acquire all human learning. But he should have general knowledge and familiarity with books and liberal learning that he may know where and how to seek fuller know- ledge of any subject as need arises. This liberalizes and broadens his views. He sees that no social, political, or other institutions are ixed, stable, or U ordained , that all institutions, even mar- riage and the family, are but result of evolutionary processes. Seeing how and whence present institutions came to be, he real- izes that those we are wont to deem H sacred may in course of social progress change form or yield to others widely different.

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Che Hninersitg one the Public School Sgstem BY CI-IANCELLOR GEORGE E. MAGLEAN. The University of Nebraska is a part of the public school sys- tem of the State. The University embraces from the thirteenth to the nineteenth grades of the school system. From the thir- teenth to the sixteenth grades We have the ordinary undergradu- ate courses leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science. The seventeenth grade leads to the degree of Master of Arts. The completion of the nineteenth grade brings to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. These last three grades constitute the Work of the graduate school of the University. It is open for the graduates of the colleges in the University, and of all reputable colleges Within and Without the state. In all the regular courses the University crowns the work begun in the grades and continued in the high schools. SCOPE OF THE UNIVERSITY7S WORK. In addition to the ample facilities for liberal education in liter- ature, science, and the arts, there is provision for technical edu- cation in the Industrial College, and for professional education in the College of Law. There are also special professional un- dergraduate cou1'ses preparatory to medicine, and in law, and journalism. Professional training for teachers is provided in a two-years? course, particular attention being given to Child Study and Pedagogy. Certificates entitling teachers to a first grade teacher's license, and later-if they are successful in instruction- to a life certificate, are given to those who take the special courses in Science and Art of Teaching and make the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Science. The University has a Summer School that after this year it is hoped will become a six Weeks, summer term of the University, intended especially to accommodate the teache1's of the state. The equipments of the University in men and means are thus put