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

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HISTORY or THE OOLLEGE or LAW 81 and notably Judge WVebster and Mr. Wilson of the present fac- ulty of this college, did deliver systematic courses of lectures. In the number and variety of her courts, the extent and char- acter of her libraries, the number and importance of her educa- tional institutions, and in her central location, Lincoln possessed decided advantages for the establishment of a law school, to which these earlier efforts served to attract attention. Members of the Lancaster county bar saw the opportunity and breached' the sub- ject to members ofthe general faculty of the State University and board of regents. In April, '91, a committee of the faculty consisting of Profes- sors Howard, Kingsley, Caldwell, Nicholson, and McMillan re- ported in favor of the expediency of establishing a law depart- ment, not neglecting to add that it the favorable influence of the bar will doubtless prove a new source of strength to the Univer- sity. Professor Howard presented the report to the board of regents. Judge J. R. Weloster addressed the board in favor of the proposed school. The Lancaster county bar association passed favorable resolutions and appointed a committee to confer with the chancellor and regents. At the June meeting, 1891, the board of regents authorized the chancellor to confer with the bar committee upon the organi- zation of the school. At later meetings it provided for the sala- ries of a dean and four lecturers, 'cemployedv William .Henry Smith as Dean, appointed a large corps of lecturers, and author- ized the chancellor to assign to the ULaW College W the use of such rooms Has might be secured without interference with reg- ular University Worlrf' and to have printed a H small, extra sheet for the present catalogue. The Hlaw facultyf' 'C until otherwise ordered,'7 consisted of: lVilliam H. Smith, Dean, James M. lVoolWorth, Science of J urisprudence, Joseph R. Webster, Equity Jurisprudence, J ohn U. Cowin, Constitutional Lawg Manoah B. Reese, Real and Per- sonal Property, Samuel Maxwell, Pleadings, lVilliam H. Mun- ger, Private Rights a fl Obligations, Grenio M. Lambertson, Crimi- nal Lawg Henry H. wfilsoii, Evidence. 'N lVith the exception of Mr. Cowin, the gentlemen accepted the appointments. Mr. Munger lectured on the Domestic Relations

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kjistorg of the Ciollege of Saw BY PROF. CHARLES A. ROBBINS. .In the fall of 1888, some two dozen young men, who were read- ing law in the oflices of Lincoln lawyers, organized a class for more systematic study and the trial of moot cases. This class met for a few weeks in the law oflices of Lamb, Ricketts Ro Wil- son, over the old Lancaster County Bank, on Tenth street. Soon after the organization of the class the writer accepted an invita- tion to become its leader and instructor. The place of meeting was changed to the rooms of the Lincoln Business College. The class met two evenings in each week. Readings were assigned in some standard text book, and the regular class work was limited to a quiz upon the subject matter of the reading. The work of the class as a whole was not satisfactory. All the advantages of law oflice study, so much vaunted by some law- yers who know nothing of the better methods, were possessed by these young men, supplemented by the regular assignment and discussion of readings, but their average progress was discour- agingly slow and uncertain. Class organization was too lax, recitations were too few, the study of the assigned readings could not be made compulsory. It ought to be said that a num- ber of the young men appeared to apply themselves diligently to the work and made satisfactory progress. With the coming of summer heat the work was suspended. Probably encouraged somewhat by the apparent success of that class, and at the suggestion of Messrs. T. S. Allen and W. F. Schwind, Mr. William Henry Smith, who had lately come to Lin- coln from Philadelphia, organized, in the fall of 1889, a law class which he called Central Law College. Good quarters were se- cured in the Burr block. The printed announcement contained the names of a very long list of lecturers including some of the most prominent lawyers in the state. Some of these gentlemen,

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S2 THE DIGEST and Mr. Lambertson on Inter-State Commerce. Mr. John C. Watson was subsequently appointed lecturer on Criminal Law. The following gentlemen were also invited to deliver lectures at such times and upon such subjects as might be determined upon, but Without compensation: NS. J. Tuttle, S. B. Pound, N. S. Harwood, C. O. Whedon, T. M. Marquette, S. L. Greisthardt, A. R. Talbot, WV. J. Bryan, all of Lincoln, Eleazer Wakely, John M. Thurston, VV R. Kelly, H. J. Davis, all of Omaha, Judge Broady, of Beatrice, S. W. Osborne, of Blair, John B. Cessna, of Hastings, Judge Post, of Columbus, Judge VV. H. Morris, of Crete? A number of these gentlemen delivered lectures before the school. A very 'C small, extra sheetv announced the opening of the school in October, 1891. The tuition was fixed at 830 a year. lt was increased to 345 in 1895. Fifty-two students registered the first year, and twelve Were graduated in June, 1892. Classes met in the botany room in Nebraska Hall. Possibly their presence there interfered if with regular University Work, since the next year the school sought quarters in the Burr Block. The original course of study prepared by Dean Smith covered fairly Well the field of elementary law, but it was greatly lacking in systematic arrangement, and unsuited to that orderly develop- ment of legal principles so helpful to the student, and so neces- sary to an understanding of the essential unity of our common law. It is said that the actual performance Was even more dis- orderly than the printed program. Judge Reese, Mr. Wilson, and possibly other lecturers, as- signed regular readings in standard teXt-books in connection with their lectures. Indeed, ea1'ly the lirst year, Mr. VVilson in- troduced a resolution at a faculty meeting suggesting the adop- tion of this method by all lecturers, but consideration of the resolution was postponed. The Dean Was a iirm believer in the eiflciency of the so-called lecture system. There was no case study in the proper sense of the term. Text-books and cases were cited rather as authorities to justify the conclusions of the lecturer than as the proper subjects of careful study. Method and Qlack ofj order combined to perplexithe student, f y F 1 1 ,.