THE SOUL OF THE PROFESSION or even the contempt of those whom he seeks to please. Confessedly, it is a re markable characteristic of human nature that one should urge another to surrenders which he will despise him for making. But the seducer is not at all the only man (if man he may be called) who scorns his victim for the very sacrifice which he himself de manded. Honor among thieves is a myth." Facts like these, thus shortly and broadly stated, are among the essential qualifica tions on any reliance upon intellect and knowledge; admirable and necessary as the latter are — in themselves considered. Such information, in sufficient detail to cover the necessary relations of an attorney to the court, to his prospective clients, and to the community at large, must clearly come, if it is to be regarded, from a professional source. The difficulties and dangers of a legal career are so unique, the ideals properly attendant upon the administration of justice are so exceptional, that usually accepted rules of conduct need recasting in important particu lars. In other words, the general precepts of religion or morality are not sufficiently specific. That professional source of information and instruction can be only the law school. The modern law office demands for its pur poses a finished product. It becomes then the duty of the law school to furnish it. All preliminary matters must be relegated to its widening domain. It has taken over, in discharge of this duty, local pleading and
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practice. It must also teach the student the moral side of his profession. With good reason have repeated committees of the American Bar Association recommended that legal ethics be made part of each law school curriculum. The duty seems fairly plain. To no other agency can the work be delegated; none is so well fitted for it. The law school cannot possibly remain neutral. The non-moral curriculum is an immoral one. Silence on this subject is of itself eloquent. It is not doubtful that there are practical difficulties in making up a course on legal ethics. Adequately to handle such a topic, requires the services of an active practitioner of prominence, character, and special qualifi cations. The topic itself lies just beyond the work of the regular professorship. But the difficulties are merely those of adminis tration. Competent men, in all sections of the country, it may safely be assumed, will gladly find time, from even the most exact ing engagements, at any reasonable sacrifice, to do their share toward maintaining the high and formative ideals of a fundamen tally ethical calling. For to all right-minded lawyers, it need not be said, whether engaged in active practice or devoted to the work of the law school, inexpressibly prized and precious, above all brilliancy of intellect or profundity of learning, transcendent in its importance, is the soul of the profession. SCHENECTADY, N. Y., June, 1906.
