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The Green Bag.

and in pleading and conveyancing, especially the last two. An important feature of the practical work is the trial of cases by moot courts. These are trials held each week, always presided over by one of the professors as judge, in which the students act as counsel, thoroughly preparing the case for trial and conducting the argument, whether it be on an issue of law to the court alone, or one of fact to a jury composed of their fellow-students. Within the last two years a new interest has been aroused in these moot courts by carrying them a step farther. With the assistance of one of the professors, the groundwork of actual fact for a case is carefully laid and counsel chosen for the parties. The counsel then bring the action by the proper pleadings, and prepare the case for trial. The witnesses are examined and cross-examined before the judge and jury, questions of evidence raised and argued, depositions taken and read, and everything made to conform as nearly as possible to the conduct of an actual trial,—and the event watched with intense interest. The two or three cases which have so far been conducted in this way have each necessitated two or more sessions of the court. Their value is proved beyond question by the interest and enthusiasm of the counsel and of the other students. Lately a more informal court for practice in the preparation of pleadings has been tried with success. Judges are appointed in rotation from among the students, to whom counsel bring their cases by appropriate pleadings, and argue the questions in pleading thus raised, and from whose decisions an appeal lies to the professor.

SIMEON E. BALDWIN.

In addition to the work thus far described, and which is a part of the regular course upon which examinations are based, there are voluntary organizations among the students which carry such work still further, and which may properly be noticed in this connection. The three "Quiz-clubs" of the Junior Class are under the indirect supervision of the Faculty, the Assistant Librarian, a recent graduate of the school, representing them at all the meetings and aiding the members in the choice and discussion of topics. But there is no interference with the freedom of their formation, so that the groups may be made up of men who will be congenial and work well together. The clubs of the Senior Class, of which there are now two, are independent of any supervision. All these clubs meet in the rooms of the school, have the use of the library, and are given ready aid and encouragement in every way. Frequent moot-trials are held by them, in which those not engaged as counsel sit as judges and deliver opinions, sometimes in writing. There is also a weekly debating society open to all the students of the school, and another select society which does work similar to that of the Quiz-clubs. This auxiliary work, independent of the curriculum proper, besides being peculiarly beneficial to those who en-