Page:Harvard Law Review Volume 9.djvu/302

274 HARVARD LAW REVIEW. enter the Senior Class of Harvard, will be admitted as candidates for the degree. All others, including holders of academic degrees who are not on the list, "graduates of Law Schools which confer the degree only after an examination upon a two years' course of at least seven months each," and all who i)ass the regular examination, — these will be admitted only as special students, and can obtain the degree only by entitling them- selves in some way to enrolment as regular students, or by attaining a mark within five per cent of that required for the honor degree. In connection with these changes in rules, the following table is instructive : — Holders of degrees from Colleges whose graduates are to be admitted as candi- dates for the degree of LL.B 352 Holders of degrees from Colleges whose graduates are notXo be admitted as can- didates for the degree of LL.B .• ... 27 Harvard College Seniors en leave of absence from college 18 Graduates of other Law Schools 3 Students holding no degrees . 66 Total .466 According to the above table, 370 of the 466 students now in the School would be eligible candidates for the degree under the new rules. The other 96, of whom 64 are first year students, would not get the de- gree except by attaining a mark within five per cent of the honor grade. Ii all probability, some of the 27 graduates of institutions that are not nov recognized officially by the Harvard Law School would be admitted as candidates for the degree, for the list does not pretend to be ex- haustive. The Law Faculty reserves the right to consider special cases on their merits. The decrease in the number of special students is partly traceable to the policy of the Faculty in discouraging all such who do not care to work. Those who are ready to work find it just as easy under the old rules to attain regular standing. Undoubtedly, when the new ruks go into effect, the number of specials will increase again. The present small num- bers are also doubtless further caused by a prevailing misunderstand- ing as to the status of specials under the new arrangement. As has already been noticed, the special student will still have the same privi- leges as regular students, except that if he wishes a degree he must maintain a high standing, and he will not be admitted except on the definitely determined conditions set forth above, which it is needless to repeat. But whatever eLe may be said, it is generally understood that idlers have no place in the Harvard Law School. Of the nine specials noAT here, only one is ineligible for regular standing. The rest are enrolled as specials in order to take studies out of the year m which they would be regularly enrolled. Perhaps the most significant fact in connection with all these figures on the total registration is that the third year class is increased. This is due to nothing so mu h as to a recognition both of the increase in the quantity of instruction offered and of the advantages of a third year of study. Below are given three tables showing the sources from which six suc- cessive classes have been drawn, both as to previous collegiate training and as to the geographical districts from which the students come.