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Legal Education

-.. You will see from. our Report that far-reaching

changes in the education of our apprentices are

contemplated. Many of them must await the enact

ment of our Bill. Some of them may be carried

put under

the

existing

law. One

interesting

experiment has just begun in the form of a few

special lectures to apprentices on certain professional

matters, to be given by members of the Council.

The degree of control by the Council over the

training afforded to apprentices by their masters

is also in course of being increased by requiring

Certain questions to be answered twice instead of

once in the course of the term of apprenticeship.

Occasionally, I fear, there are instances in which

the obligation to teach the apprentice is not taken

as seriously by the master as the nature of the

relationship would warrant. No course of study,

of lectures or of examinations can substitute for

the daily practice of a solicitor's office as a means

of grounding the apprentice in the practical details

of his work and the acquisition of a conscientious

professional attitude towards the interests of his

future clients. If this were not the case, the whole

institution of apprenticeship could be abolished

and admission to

the profession secured by a

course of study leading to a law degree. A moment's

reflection shows that this would lead to the young

solicitor acquiring 75 per cent, of his knowledge

after qualification by trial and'error at the expense

of his clientele. What the public interest, as well

as that of the profession, calls for is a small number

of hard-working apprentices

in

the offices of

experienced practitioners for a

longer

term of

years, such as the Bill will provide when enacted.

One part of the prescription is likely to be forth

coming if our fight on the remuneration front is

unsuccessful, the smaller number.

Apprentices' Debating Society

The Council continues to watch over the interests

of the Apprentices' Debating Society. Even now

there seem to be apprentices who do not understand

the importance to their future success of partici

pation in this Society. The District Court and, in

a measure, the Circuit Court call

for advocacy

by solicitors. The first requirement of an advocate

is readiness in debate. Every master should make

it his duty to see that his apprentice does not neglect

this side of his training, which obviously cannot

be carried out in the office.

Solicitors as advocates wearing gowns

Incidentally, I hear that our profession tend

less and less to conduct their clients' cases personally

in the Circuit Court. I think this a mistake. We

fought hard for the right, we ought not to let it

go by default, and it is plain that there are many

cases where the saving in costs

resulting from,

the solicitor acting as advocate (in a suitable case

of course) would go far to reduce the cost of

litigation, swelled as it is so often nowadays by the

costs of expert witnesses, whose fees go into the

bill for which the public blames the unfortunate

solicitor.

I have raised on a previous occasion

the question of the wearing of the solicitor's gown

when appearing as an advocate in any Court.

I

have not changed my opinion as to its desirability.

The Council had circularised the Bar Associations

to ascertain

their views;

they are divided.

I

suggest that, in the areas which favour the gown,

it should be adopted as far as possible.

I admit

the difficulties. It may be impossible to get a gown

and it certainly will be expensive,"but it should

be possible in any area, if a sufficient number of

orders be forthcoming, to make an arrangement

for gowns to be made at a reasonable cost.

In

view of the difficulties and the want of unanimity,

it is not a matter for making rules at present.

I

hope a beginning will be made, as

I remain

convinced

that

this distinctive badge of the

solicitor-advocate would raise our status in the eye

of the Bench and the public.

State of Court buildings

Judges of the Circuit Court and Justices of the

District Court continue to complain of the barbarous

state in which many Courts in the country are

allowed to remain, to the danger and discomfort

of the public and the profession. This is one

more matter in which solicitors entering public

life could strike a blow in the general public interest

as well as

that of our profession.

Solicitors' Bill

We have not the progress to report in connection

with our Bill which was hoped for when we last

met. We believe it is in Parliamentary Draftman's

office. Now that the flow of legislation appears

to be adopting a more leisurely tempo I hope my

successor may have the pleasure of having it enacted

during his tenure of office.

Negotiations by insurance companies

Many important questions have been ventilated

in our GAZETTE which goes monthly to all our

members.

I draw attention in particular to that

of negotiation with

insurance companies, where

there is or may be a solicitor concerned on the

other side, referred to in the May issue. This

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