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

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HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE OF LAW 83 '4Mastering what seemed the lawless science of our law, That codeless myriad of precedent, That wilderness of single instances. The results obtained were disappointing to the friends of the school. After much deliberation a committee consisting of Chan- cellor Canfield and Regentllstabroolc reported at the June, 1893, meeting of the board of regents, that the Mcurriculum should be simplified and so modified as to give to each student a compara- tively small number of topics at any one time,'7 and that if the greater part of the undergraduate course must be that of the recitationfl 'ibased very largely upon the use of text-boolrsfi Dean Smith resigned, not being Min accord with this method of instruction. U Judge Reese succeeded to the deanship at the opening of the next school year. Lecturers lVilson, Webster, lVIunger, Max- well, and Wlatson were retained. Judge Frank Irvine, Jacob Fawcett, W. WV. Giifen, Judge J. H. Broadyjand Judge W. H- Hastings fthe last two for one year onlyj -were added to the corps of lecturers, and the writer was appointed instructor- The school was brought back to the University campus, and the room in University Hall now occupied by Steward Dales as- signed to its use. These quarters proving inadequate the school Nlodgedv the next year in room 16 in the same building, and upon the completion of the library building was allotted its pres- ent quarters. The course of study was simplified and so re-arranged that each subject might, as far as possible, serve as a fitting preparation for the next. The subjects of remedial law were grouped in the Second year. lVith slight changes and some additions the course of study then adopted is still followed. Probably future changes will consist in a more elaborate treatment of present topics rather than in substantial additions to thecurriculum. The method of instruction was changed. A modified form of the so-called text-book method was adopted and is still used. On some minor topics instruction is by lectures only' Some lecturers combine the lecture and text-bool: methods. T he writer has gen- erally combined the text-book and case study methods. The modern practice courts have been substituted for the ancient and well-nigh useless moot-courts.

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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 ,.

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S11 THE DIGEST Upon the reorganization of the school in 1893, a graduate course of instruction of one year was added, and in J une, 1895, the master's degree was conferred upon seven candidates. For want of means to carry on the work properly, and because it WHJS- found practicable to give much of the same instruction in the undergraduate course, the graduate course was abandoned after the second year. YV. S. Summers and B. F. Good were appointed special lecturers in 1894, and Dr. J. L. Greene was appointed lecturer on medical jurisprudence the present year. ln 1893, the law library consisted of a few dozen text-books crowded into a corner of the general library. It has grown into a fair working library of two thousand volumes' of the very best reports and texts, and is located in the lecture room under the charge of special attendants. The law school has already done much to raise the standard of admission to the bar in this state. It has. since 1893, greatly in- creased the amount of work required of its students. The mini- mum age of entrance has been raised from seventeen to nineteen. A proper academic preparation for law study has been urged at all times. The requirements for admission have been changed from the general 'L good English education 7' to the more certain equivalent of graduation from an accredited high school. A large proportion of the present senior class are college men, and forty per cent have received academic degrees. 4 It was by the direct influence of the law school, that the state legislature ofiL895 abolished the fraud of admission to the bar through the district courts, and vested the sole power of admis- sion in the supreme court. The fair enforcement of the rules adopted by the supreme court under that power has probably reduced by three-fourths the number of annual admissions to the bar and vastly improved the actual standard. Much has been done. Much remains to be done. The Law School will lead the way. But it looks hopefully to the supreme court for such further exercise of its powers as will make necessary fair aca- demic preparation upon the part of all law students.