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

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rights and obligations g Genio M. Lambertson, criminal law, Henry H. Wilson, evidence. VV ith the exception of Mr. Cowin, the gentlemen accepted the appointments. Mr. Munger lectured on the do-mestic relations and Mr. Lambertson on interstate commerce. Mr. john C. Wfatson 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 2 eg - ,R f - V fl? f-' - '- fi zsefrie '-rrif A E 3 i .,.,.X:.-., .,. .. - ' f-v -P.-.gf ,ag .-.rf --.::'.a7 zz, - ' ,, - - f - N ,:v.. ... :JI 11,31 -Ng! , - ,.w-ttf urfi :f 5533: : Q, : ?F.:g- f:?-:,-- ,-L gi.: 2 ,- LL: A 1 a f-41255 - N' ' ' vfqg: wx: - ,L 535: -I sg.: 1 ,fr--52 in-, ,gig .... 35 'S ' -L- -if E ,EES ff i clfr 'a aa- :rr - 2 :um 2111- an-.-- as: - - 1:2 i . -T A-35,5 gag .:,,,- . gg.: ...na :ggi za: u:::: FE Q i - :- E -5 - . 2 '5 1 F - g el 'r - E51-:. i - '1...-..,.,.::..... lll!!'1 'llWll HI'uf-mm-.u:.::,:Lnmv11 Iwlulllll lfllfvgglu. jryggl , .vrl:n!sFy15l1nr T f f 'VI-UD L 'ml 'CZ-i'T-H W 'ls ,0 TY T' F ' T2-'X fa- M ill if F I I Z Q' f1'H'5'p.N 'l:, ,. X f ' i . W 4 A. fqff- K 1 -ff ,:.T' if ' .' ' .gf ff' wz , -h xx Ap' I '-:asain , rw.. -i I 'wx ' is - 1 i1F-i-. wv.Z'-'z,u1llh-::gfg.ss::. s l l a:!if195e,.q 5!fG5-gifs: vs' N an 4 Y F 1 1' 5- X , if 1 , or - 'fl N -:- f - Q i 1' - , .---51.4 : lf- i 12. ,mn .,Fgw..l, --..- I ...I f i '?P A.. ' I uf' f Q55 x x . x 2 1 II lllllllllllllmruilmf 11 ff In XM ,: HS. I. Tuttle, S. B. Pound, N. S. Harwood, C. O. VVhedon, T. M. Marquett, S. L. Geisthardt, A. R. Talbot, W. I. Bryan, all of Lincoln, Eleazer W'akeley, john M. Thurston, W. R. Kelly, H. I. 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. 28

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Probably encouraged somewhat by the apparent success of that class, and at the suggestion of Messrs. T. S. Allen and VV. F. Schwind, Mr. Wfilliam 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 secured in the Burr block. The printed announcement contained the names of a very long list of lecturers including some of the most promi- nent lawyers in the state. Some of these gentlemen, and notably Judge XVebster and Mr. Wfilson, 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 broached the sub- ject to members of the general faculty of the State University and board of regents. f ' In April, '91, a committee of the faculty consisting of Pro- fessors Howard, Kingsley, Caldwell, Nicholson, and McMillan re- ported in favor of the expediency of establishing a law department, not neglecting to add that the favorable inliuence of the b-ar will doubtless prove a new source of strength to the University. Pro- fessor Howard presented the report to the board of regents. Judge I. R. VVebster 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 organization of the school. At later meetings it provided for the salaries of a dean and four lecturers, employed VVilliam Henry Smith as Dean, appointed a large corps of lecturers, and authorized the Chancellor to assign to the Law College the use of such rooms Nas might be secured without interference with regular University work, and to have printed a small, extra sheet for the present catalogue. The 'flaw facultyf, until otherwise ordered,'1 consisted of: 'William H. Smith, Dean, james M. Wfoolworth, science of jurisprudence: Joseph R. Wfebster, equity jurisprudenceg John C. Cowin, constitutional law: Manoah B. Reese, real and personal propertyg Samuel Maxwell, pleadings: Wfilliam H. Munger, private '27

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A very small, extra sheetn announced the opening of the school in October, 1891. The tuition was fixed at S30 a year. It was increased to S45 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 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 Held 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 necessary to an understanding of the essential unity of our common law. It is said that the actual performance was even more disorderly than the printed program. judge Reese, Mr. Wilso-11, and possibly other lecturers, as- signed regular readings in standard text-books in connection with their lectures. Indeed, early the first year, Mr. Vlfilson introduced a resolution at a faculty meeting suggesting the adoption of this method by all lecturers, but consideration of the resolution was postponed. The Dean was a firm bfeliever in the efficiency 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 au- thorities to justify the conclusions of the lecturer than as the proper subjects of careful study. Mastering 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 Canheld and Regent Estabrook reported at the june, 1893, meeting of the board of regents, that the curriculum should be simplified and so modihed as to give to each student a compara- tively small number of topics at any one time, and that the greater part of the undergraduate course must be that of the recitationf, based very largely upon the use of text-books. Dean Smith re- signed, not being 'fin accord with this method of instruction. judge Reese succeeded to the deanship at the opening of the next school year. Lecturers Wfilson, Webster, Munger, Maxwell, and VVatson were retained. Judge Frank Irvine, Jacob Fawcett, Q9