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DEC 11 1008

PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

SECTION OF LEGAL EDUCATION.

FIRST SESSION.

Wednesday, August 29, 1906, 3 P. M.

The Section was called to order in the Capitol building, St. Paul, Minnesota, on August 29, 1906, at 3 P. M., by the Chairman, William Draper Lewis, of Pennsylvania.

The Chairman:

The hour of meeting having arrived, I call the Section to order. I understand that we have no minutes, and I will therefore ask the Secretary to make a report from the officers of the Section.

The Secretary:

Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the Section: The principal matter upon which the officers of the Section can report this year is with reference to the collection of statistics from the law schools. Two years ago a resolution was passed in the Section directing the officers to gather statistics from all law schools of the country, not merely the schools in the Association of American Law Schools, but from all law schools, on certain points which were designated. A blank form was drawn up covering the ground in a measure, and this form was sent around to those interested in legal education for suggestions. Those suggestions have now been embodied in a blank form which I have had prepared and copies have been distributed throughout this room. The purpose is to gather, as far as we can, statistics on the points indicated in the form. We shall be glad to receive further suggestions from the law school men present this afternoon and from others. It is the wish

of the officers of the Section to have the statistics cover all

material points.

In connection with the suggestions which came, there was one, and only one, which I have disregarded, namely, that to publish the statistics from the larger schools might result in some of the smaller schools thinking that unfair advantage was taken of them by the Section of Legal Education. I confess that I have not had any great sympathy with this suggestion. The idea of gathering these statistics did not come from the stronger schools, but from one of the weaker schools. The purpose of it was not to oppress the weaker schools, but rather to inspire them to renewed efforts. The result, I think, will be this that the boards of trustees of the various schools that are not able, as yet, to make as good a showing as other schools in these returns will be much more apt to give to their schools the support which they need. I have already seen one illustration of this. A board of trustees in a state university had been allowing its law school $800 a year for its library; when the attention of the board was drawn last spring to the fact that other law schools were getting much larger sums for their libraries, the amount was increased to $1700. I believe that a showing of what the best schools are doing will have a very beneficial result upon all of the schools in the country.

The Chairman :

I do not suppose that any action is necessary on this report. As I understand it, the officers, at a previous meeting, were directed to gather these statistics, and that resolution would hold over until next year. Part of the work has been done. The principal part of the work, the actual gathering of the statistics from all the schools, yet remains to be done.

I understand that it is desirable that the election of officers for the next year take place at this meeting, rather than at the meeting on Friday; and therefore I suggest that a motion be made now to appoint a committee to nominate officers for the ensuing year.

C. C. Cole, of Iowa:

I make that motion.

The motion was seconded and adopted.

The Chairman:

The Chair will appoint as the committee to nominate officers C. C. Cole, of Iowa; John H. Wigmore, of Illinois, and Henry M. Bates, of Michigan.

The Chairman then delivered the annual address as Chairman of the Section.

(The Address follows these Minutes.)

The Chairman :

We have with us this evening Mr. James E. Young, the Director of the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Young was to have read his paper on Friday evening, but as Mr. Wall, the President of the Illinois State Bar Association, who was to speak today, is not here, I have asked Mr. Young to present his paper now. Mr. Young then read his paper.

The Chairman :

Gentlemen: Both of these papers are now open for discussion. I especially wish to emphasize the fact that the paper of the Chairman is open for discussion, because I understand that there has been a feeling among the members of the Section that the address of the Chairman should not be discussed.

William S. Pattee, of Minnesota :

Will the Chair allow me to make a statement before the discussion begins? Mr. Brown, the President of the Minnesota Bar Association, has been very anxious that everything should be done to facilitate your work and contribute to your entertainment, and consequently he has appointed a committee to assist the officers and members of this Section in any way that may be desirable. That committee consists of Mr. Halbert, of the St. Paul College of Law, Professor Page and myself, of the University of Minnesota College of Law; and we are ready at any time to render any assistance which you may wish.

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