‘LAWYERS ARE HUMAN’

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 73, 20 December 1937, Page 10

‘LAWYERS ARE HUMAN’

Sidelights On The Legal

Profession

MRS. RAINS RETIRES AFTER TWENTY-TWO YEARS

The whole of the legal profession in New Zealand knows Mrs. J. I. Rains, who is retiring after 22 years’ continuous service in the Wellington Law Library. There is not a legal practitioner whom she does not know, and few who have not grateful memories of her assistance at some time in their careers. Members of the profession all joined in bidding her farewell at various gatherings last week. . ... . Interviewed by “The Dominion in the solid, solemn atmosphere of the law library at the Supreme Court, Mrs. Rains would say little about herself, but was quite willing to discuss her work. There are more than 20,000 books in the law library, and in addition there is the judges’ library, maintained by the New Zealand Law Society, of which Mrs. Rains is also in From 12 to 14 feet of new shelfspace is encroached on every 12 months for law reports alone. In addition, new text-books are being continually added, and order editions replaced by new editions of standard works. The legal periodicals of the British countries and their filing and binding when in volume form are also the care of the assistant-librarian. Library Seldom Empty. The law library is used extensively by lawyers, and Mrfc. Rains said it is never empty during the hours when law-offices are open. At nights, there are generally several lawyers engaged till very late in preparation work, either for cases or for opinions. “The leaders in particular, work very long hours all the year round,” Mrs. Rains remarked. She said that after midnight work was still in progress in the library. Asked if that did not entail a lot of work for the librarian, Mrs. Rains said that it was part of her duties to return the used books to the shelves as soon as possible after they were done with.

“When you remember that, in court, the barristers on both sides have between them sometimes up to 100 books from which to quote,” she said, “you will see that it is a never-ending task.

“I have known as many as from 300 to 400 books returned to the shelves on an afternoon when the Court of Appeal was sitting. Apart from his court work, a barrister often has opinions to prepare; very often he will have to go through three or four times the number of books he will eventually use on the task before him.” A very accurate knowledge of the placing of the books was required of Mrs. Rains. As the same books are often in constant use, both in the courts and in the library, their return to the shelves fully occupied her from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. Frequently, and always when the Court of Appeal was sitting, it was necessary to work much later to get the library in order for those Using it at night. As the courts rose about 4.30 p.m., there was a very busy time late in the afternoon, she said. “The work has been heavy at times, Mrs. Rains continued, “but it has always been most interesting.” For her, the work-had never become a dull, routine job. The handling of law books daily for twenty-two years had only increased her interest in them and her love for the work. It was this love for her work which induced her to spend a busman’s holiday in California a few years ago —the only long holiday she had taken during her service in the library. The greater part of her time while she was there was spent visiting law libraries. She saw them at Los Angeles and Santa Barbara; at San Francisco she was told that the law library of the University at Oakland was the finest in the United States.

“I spent several days in that library, and was interested to observe rows of tables each with its shaded reading lamp. Here, side by side, were students of all nationalities, deep in their law studies—turbaned Hindoos and Spaniards, with Chinese and Japanese, Italians, Hawaiians and others of still different nationalities.” Mrs. Rains also investigated library work at the Leland Stanford University. “But after seeing all these famous libraries, supported as they are with magnificent endowments, I came to the conclusion that the selection of law reports in the Wellington Law Library compares more than favourably with any of them. In fact, I was pleased to see the inside of our own library again.” Lights of Other Days. Mrs. Rains has seen many changes' in the legal profession in her 22 years of service. There are few left of the leaders wlio frequented the library most when she first went there. All the present members of the Supreme Court Bench were then practising at the Bar, however, and she came into contact with them in the library. Sir John Salmond, later a judge and a jurist of international fame, was one whom she used often to see busily engaged in the library. “Then there was the brilliant and charming Sir John Findlay, K.C.,” she said, recalling old memories, “and Sir Alexander Gray, K.C., each one a resident of the New Zealand Law Society. As well there were Mr. C. B. Morison, K.C., and Sir Charles Skerrett, who was, in the view of experts like the late Sir Frederick Chapman, the greatest advocate this country has seen. “Men came and went, but the figure of the late Sir Francis Bell, K.C., seemed to dominate the whole realm of the law during all but the last two years of my period in the library. He was a remarkable lawyer and a wonderful man.” Mrs. Rains said it was difficult to compare the lawyers of to-day with these giants of the past. “We are too near to the leaders of to-day to assess their position in the history of the law of the land. Another thing, each period brings its new problems for tile lawyer. And it seems to me that, whatever new phase of law is for the time being uppermost in the courts, we have always lawyers able to grapple with them to the satisfaction of all concerned. “I think that is as true to-day as it was 20 years ago. And there are always some brilliant youngsters coming along to take the place of their elders when, they ‘go up higher' or retire from active work.”

Mrs. Rains admitted that the personal element has entered very much into her work. From the twinkle in her eye, one gathered that there was many a merry tale she could tell about the lawyers with whom she has spent her days, but she would not be drawn. Many of the men whose names are now well-known to the public she remembers as law-clerks. She has seen three generations oi one family working in the library in their turn. “Completely Wrong Idea.” Asked about the functions of the New Zealand Law Society, which she has served so intimately, Mrs. Rains said that tlie public had a completely wrong idea of its work. Some people spoke of it to her as if it were a trade union of a superior kind, or a close corporation to conserve special privileges for its members. “Nothing could lie further from the truth.” she said. “In the course of my duties I have seen the minutes of the Law Society's meetings for many years; and my most enduring impression, after 22 years’ close relationship with the work of both the parent body and the Wellington District Law Society, is this: The officers of those bodies place the interests of the public before everything eke. Their disciplinary work to

ward the members of their own profession, their close scrutiny of Bills before Parliament and their appearances before committees of both Houses; their constant endeavour to make the law more just in its application, and the removal of anomalies which create personal hardship, all show that the main purpose for the societies’ existence is the good of the public “The people of New Zealand have little idea of the debt of gratitude that they owe to the governing bodies of the law societies. It is unfair for anyone to think that the legal profession is selfish in its own interests. I know what I am talking about when say that the work of the New Zealand Law Society is wholly in the interests of the whole community.'

“I consider it an honour and a privilege to have been associated with the legal profession at its New Zealand headquartors for so many years,” Airs. Rains said in conclusion. “It is with the greatest regret that I sever my contact with the work. There is nothing dull about our Wellington library. The lawyers are a wonderfully line crowd to work with. They are very human, too. But when you consider that no section of the community touches human life at so many points, and sees human nature from so many different angles, you will realise that their work influences their own human make-up. “Again, the men who have been lighting strenuously in court for their respective clients meet with friendly banter in the library after the court rises for the day. And how helpful they are to one another, and to those junior to themselves! These characteristics are only excelled by the painstaking care and great industry that they devote to the many differing problems brought to them by their clients. I could not wish to have spent my days among a more friendly or kindly set of men.”