The Gazette 1949-1952

reform. Whilst Dean o f the Law School of New York University he initiated and 'carried through a project for the erection o f a Law Centre devoted not alone to the education of law students in the University but to research into the Science of Law. During his speech at the opening ceremonies Chief Justice Vanderbilt made the point that in America the enactment and administration of law has failed to keep pace with the demands o f Society. In a magnificent speech he analysed the present position of the law in the United States as a whole and its shortcomings, and made suggestions to bring the enactment and administration of law up to the needs o f Society. One o f his many interesting points was that the necessary research preliminary to the modernisation o f the U.S. legal system, including codification o f laws, etc., was essentially a matter for the law schools. He pointed out that the ordinary practising lawyer, although willing to help and advise, could not possibly devote the amount o f time that would be necessary whilst the State was either unable or unwilling to handle the problem competently.' The opening ceremony at the Vanderbilt Hall took the form o f two symposia, one held in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Amongst the speakers and the subjects they discussed were the follow ing: 1. “ Humanities and the Law ” : Earl J. McGrath, United States Commissioner o f Education; Huntingdon Cairns, Secretary and General Counsel National Gallery o f A r t ; James Burnham, Professor of Philosophy, New York University. 2. “ The Natural Sciences and the Law ” : Detlev W. Bronk, President o f the John Hopkins Univer­ sity ; President o f the National Academy of Sciences; Frederick L. Hovde, President, Purdue University ; William R. Dennes, Dean, Graduate School, University of California. 3. “ The Social Sciences and the Law ” : C. W. Kiewitt, President, University o f Rochester; J. William Fulbright, United States Senator from Arkansas ; William A . Wachenfeld, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of New Jerse y ; Murray Seasongood o f the Ohio Bar. 4. “ Leadership and the Law ” : Chester Barnard, President o f Rockefeller Foundation; Alfred Driscoll, Governor of New Jersey ; Carrol Shanks, President, Prudential Insurance Co. o f America. The status of this function can be gauged by the fact that the Chief Justices from all o f the forty-eight States attended for this opening ceremony and, in addition, a large number o f members and guests due to attend the A .B.A . meeting, com- J4

part in their local or State Bar Associations which are virile active bodies. Over all is the American Bar Association. The American Bar Association was described by Chief Justice Hugh Kennedy as follows, shortly after his return from addressing that body in 1928 : “ As most o f your readers know, the American Bar Association, which has been in existence now for fifty years, is probably the greatest professional organisation of lawyers in the world. Its membership drawn from the vast area of the United States, runs into something approaching thirty thousand. Each year it draws the widely scattered body of American lawyers into close communion at a convention organised on a magnificent scale, when social intercourse is promoted, while the many problems agitating the professional mind at the moment are discussed in learned and inspiring papers and debates. It has been the excellent practice of the Association for many years past to establish or maintain contacts with lawyers abroad by enter­ taining representative guests of honour, who are invited to address the Association. In particular, great lawyers from Great Britain have, year after year, brought to these meetings fresh draughts from the springs o f the English Common Law, the source from which the United States have so largely drawn the principles o f their Laws and procedure. Lord Russell o f Killowen, Lord Haldane, Lord Buckmaster, Lord Shaw, Lord Cave, Lord Birkenhead, Lord Hewart, and others, have in turn made notable contributions to the proceedings o f the Association.” Those who are interested in learning something more o f the American Bar Association will find an excellent full length article of which the foregoing is an extract, written by the Honourable Hugh Kennedy, at page 302 et seq. of the Irish Law Times and Solicitors’ Journal for the year 1928, Vol. 62. The membership o f the American Bar Association is now double that o f Chief Justice Kennedy’s time, and the Annual General Meeting lasts six days instead o f three in 1928. Although, stricdy speaking, not connected in any way with the affairs of the American Bar Association, the opening function which I attended was held on Saturday, September 15 th, and was so timed to coincide with the forthcoming week of the A .B .A . This function was the opening o f the new building (a magnificent Georgian Colonial building) known as the Vanderbilt Hall Law Centre, attached to New York University. Arthur T. Vanderbilt, the present Chief Justice o f the State of New Jersey, and former Dean o f the Law School o f New York University is an outstanding lawyer in the United States and a strong advocate o f law