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Law, Criminal Law, Real Property Probate and
Trust Law, Patent Trademark and Copyright
Law, etc.
As an invited guest I was concerned mostly
with the sessions o f the General Assembly. At
these sessions, all of which I attended, I was
invariably invited by the President of the A.B.A.
to sit on the platform with him, an honour which
I greatly appreciated.
At 9.30 p.m. on Wednesday evening, 19th
September, the President’s Reception was held
and here I was invited to stand in the reception
line with him to receive the guests. This was
somewhat of a mixed blessing, as I soon realised
after I had shaken the hands and greeted some
2.000 members and their wives and as each member
and his wife, individually, asked for details o f our
Presidential chain o f office.
On Wednesday, 19th September, I addressed
the Legal Aid Society luncheon in the premises
of the Bar Association o f the City o f New York,
where I was seated on the left o f the Chairman,
the Lord Chancellor Viscount Jowitt being on
his right. I made a short speech at this luncheon
telling the Legal Aid Society that whilst we had
no organised legal aid in this country, as they have
in the United States and in England, that there
was an acceptance on the part o f every practising
lawyer that no person should go in want of legal
assistance due to lack of funds.
That afternoon I addressed the General Assembly
of the American Bar Association, the subject of
my address being the practice o f law in Ireland.
I commenced with a brief resume of the Brehon
Laws, starting at the third century, the fact that
we had a live legal system in Ireland in those days
came as a surprise to nearly everybody, and
developed into a general outline o f legal practice
and education in Ireland to-day. The Presidents
from Mexico and Cuba asked for copies of my
speech to reprint in their local Law Journals.
A U.S. Congressman from Philadelphia also asked
for a copy, to be placed by him on the Congressional
Record in Washington D.C.
That evening, Thursday 20th September, the
annual banquet of the A .B.A . was held. It was a
sight which would be impossible to witness in
Ireland. It was held in the ballroom of the Waldorf
Astoria, which was packed, the members and their
guests overflowing into the galleries, lounges and
ante chambers adjoining the ballroom.
Almost
3.000 sat down to dinner. Here again the very
signal courtesy and honour which everywhere
had been afforded to our Society during the course
o f the week was once more in evidence. When
I came to my name card I discovered that your
President had been placed only three places away
from the President o f the A .B .A ., the Chief Justice
o f the United States and Cardinal Spellman alone
preceding me. On the President of A .B .A .’s other
side was the guest speaker, the Lord Chancellor
o f England, Viscount Jowitt and beyond him
some American lawyers whom I do not recollect.
The emphasis on the seating arrangements may
seem laborious in a country where we do not
attach too much importance to such matters. I
mention it for the reason that in America, as indeed
in most other countries, except Ireland, a very
considerable amount o f attention is paid to protocol.
Placing is merely the yardstick by which we can
measure the very great courtesy and honour accorded
to this Society through the person o f its President.
Throughout the week Ireland received the “ most
favoured Nation” treatment; in fact it was not
possible for the A .B.A . to extend any greater
honour or courtesy to this country or our Society
than was, in fact, extended by it.
At the end o f the dinner the President o f the
A .B.A . announced that the Council o f the Associa
tion had considered that afternoon the conferring
o f two honorary memberships o f the American
Bar Association and called on myself and the
the President o f the Canadian Bar Association
to come forward to receive our Certificate of
membership. This was a very pleasant but un
expected surprise and as I had received no prior
warning I had no opportunity to prepare a carefully
polished impromptu.
A t personal level the hospitality would tax
the health and head of even the strongest President.
During the week there were endless cocktail parties,
lunches, etc., given by various legal groups, e.g.,
Women Lawyers’ Association, Junior Lawyers’
Association, Maritime and Aviation Lawyers’,
Group, etc. There was even a fashion show. I
averaged five o f these parties per day over and above
the programmed items. Many o f the leading firms
in New York took suites in the Waldorf Astoria
to entertain their legal correspondents from all
over the U.S. We the visitors were pressed into
service as decoy ducks on such occasions. The
generosity and kindliness which I received on all
sides during the week is worthy of special note.
I am convinced, and it also represents the views
of our diplomatic officials in the U.S., that a visit
such as this can do nothing but good not alone
to our Society but to the country as a whole. As
will be seen from the programme in the Secretary’s
office, many o f those who attended and spoke were
from the most influential groups in the legal,
commercial and political life of the United States.
Many o f them had gained their views on Ireland