TWO ESSENTIALS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 68, 21 March 1931, Page 14

TWO ESSENTIALS

THE LEGAL PROFESSION

PROBITY AND EFFICIENCY

Members of the Wellington Law Students' Society and the Victoria University- College, Law Faculty Club listened with keen interest to an address given at the college last evening by Sir Michael Myers (Chief Justice). In the course of his observations, which covered a wido range of topics, Sir Michael said that the main qualities required in a lawyer were strict probity and efficiency. Tho profession of the law was a hard task-mistress. It was no use taking up law unless the student was prepared to work, and work hard. He did not mean that the young man should be always working; what he meant was that if the young lawyer' or student intended to succeed he should make his profession and his professional work his first and his last consideration. Knowledge of tho principles of law came first. When they were assimilated the young lawyer could look for his authorities. Keferring to the necessity for efficiency,' Sir Michael said that 'the system, of- articles which obtained in the old days no doubt had its merits, but it also had its demerits. At present, as he understood the position, most of the students were engaged in office work during the day and took lectures either early in the morning or in the evening. The practical work in the office, after all, ought to be as useful as articles', but if a young man was entering the profession he was very handicapped if he was engaged in an office in some occupation other than law and entered the profession without any knowledge of the practical work.- The best course for a\ young man to enter into the law ■was to.obtain employment in-a law office during the day and learn the .practical work, so that when he passed his examinations he was fit to conduct a practice on his own account. Sir Michael gave his audience a number of hints to serve them in. active practice. They were as follows: — "Don't indulge in 'eye-wash'; it does.not go down with juries, and it does not go down, with Judges. Frankness and candour can be much more successfully used." ' ' "Don't, go in for 100 much rhetoric ana eloquence." ,"Don't_mislead the Court intentionally. The man-who does that loses'the confidence of the Court, and the confidence oT the Court is a very valuable asset to counsel." ''Don't insult or. offend a witness. Put on the lowest base, a witness is*always a possible future client. It is never necessary to insult or offend. . It can. do no good, and it can only do harm. Don't hesitate to apologise at once.'' "Don't ask questions in cross-exam-ination unless you are sure that the answer -will be in your favour." "Don't be discouraged if you lose an occasional-case/or two, or half-a-dozen running.' My experience is that wins and losses come in cycles. It is no use worrying. Just go" on, and in all probability .before long you will have a cycle of winning cases." "The interest of'your .client of tho moment must be your first and only consideration, consistent, of course, with your respect for the traditions' and ethics of the profession." . ."One of the traditions of the profession is that tho Bench is entitled to courtesy from the Bar, and the Bar is entitled to the same courtesy from the Bench. The, courtesy must bo mutual if the business eff the Court is to be carried on properly and amicably and consistent with the ideals of the profession. Bemember 'this: the -Bench is always desirous.of help.the young practitioner, and especially the young practitioner who knows his^ work and is honestly trying to do it properly." A hearty vote of thanks to Sir Michael for his instructive address was carried with acclamation.