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Show Feature Speaker pi ROYAL DOUGLAS "Lawyers are often Individualists' HIGH STANDARD URGEDJOR BAR Jibes at Ogden Spice Envoys' Welcome pci1 im Tht TalMrara OGDEN, Dec. J-Btllrf that too, many groundless complaints against attorneys era filed with the ' bar commission with consequent detriment detri-ment to the profession was expressed ex-pressed today by Royal J. Douglas, president of the Utah State Bar, in his address to ths seventh annual bsr convention here. His address, a feature of the afternoon aft-ernoon session of the two-day convention, con-vention, followed a welcoming address ad-dress Friday morning In which J A. Howell, president of the Weber County Bar association, directed a few shafts of sarcasm at the Ogden city administration. "I am aorry," said Mr. Howell, "that I cannot offer you the keys to the city for two reasons. First, because I have no official connection connec-tion with the city administration, thank God! and second, because Ogden hsa no keys. "It's a wide open town. I can't promise immunity from prosecution jfor minor lew violations for the simple reason that Ogden makes no pretense of enforcing the law at any time." Mr. Howell added, however, that despite this, he and other members of the bar from Ogden were proud of their city. He outlined several attractive at-tractive features of the city as well as the program of entertainment arranged for the barristers during their stay. Mr. Douglas, in explaining his belief that too many groundless 'complaints are being filed with the I commission, charged many of these jcomplaints "are pure and simple spite work" and others the result of a disagreement between an attorney and his client He recommended thst the commission com-mission should require the complaints com-plaints to have at least a semblance of formality and should be verified before they are investigated. "This," he said, "would eliminate many of the actions which are now ! tCouti, m4 on Part Four; j I i Column riifi I HIGH STANDARD URGED FOR BAR (Continued from Page Onl started but which have no substance sub-stance of fact" As a means of improving the public pub-lic standing of the legal profession,' Mr. Douglas urged all members of the bar (o become less individualistic individualis-tic and think more in terms of the entire p cofrnslon "Lawyers," he declared. too frequently fre-quently have been a group of individualists, in-dividualists, each striving for his Town salvation and reputation, with I little thought to what is becoming of dignity and prestige of the pro-1 feuion. IRap by Rooaevelt "We must think of what is good ,'for all of us; and in so thinking, all; of us participate in the thinking. I feel that it is time for us to give, jour members some protection, be-i cause the general public is too ready to condemn the legal profession as a; whole. "Even the president of the United States has condemned the legal profession pro-fession publicly. Several of our leading magazines have printed articles ar-ticles holding the legal profession mendations. but will not have them ready until Saturday afternoon, i These, he said, probably will include in-clude a requirement that justices of the supreme court wear judicial robes on the bench and that uni-, uni-, fnrm ruUn he adopted by a wist courts throughout the state. , Knrrr te Speak The convention will depart from the procedure of other years to discuss problems of general public I interest rather than those solely affecting the profession. William M. Knerr, chairman of the state industrial commission, was to be a second speaker Friday afternoon, discussing labor relations. Byron D. Rogers, Colorado attorney attor-ney general, will occupy the entire Saturday morning session with a discussion of administration of social so-cial security laws. The annual bar dinner is planned Saturday night, with George D. Preston of Logan as toastmaster and Charles A. Beardslcy of Oakland, former president pres-ident of the California bar and a member of the executive committee of the American Bar association, as speaker. Elections will also be completed Saturday. Waldemar Van Cott, Salt Lake City, is being mentioned as a probable successor to Mr. Douglas as president of the stats bar. and its members to ridicule. I "We in the legal profession know that dishonest lawyers are rela-. rela-. lively few in number, allteeygh-there allteeygh-there are some in our ranks whose activities menace the bar as a whole." For the protection of the profession, profes-sion, he said, it is necessary to compel com-pel all to live up to the profession's standards and ethics or to eliminate them. Activities Renewed Mr. Douglas reported on the American Bar association convention conven-tion and reviewed the work of the state bar during the past year. Reports on various phases of bar activities in Utah were made during the morning meeting. Sam D. Thurman, chairman of the committee on bar examinations, reported an increase of 11 per cent in the number of lawyers in the state since January, 1931. He added that this is out of proportion to the Increase in demand for legal services ser-vices and that, if it continues, the overcrowded condition in the bar of the state will become a matter of serious concern. Burton W. Musser. chairman of the judicial council, said his group will probably make several- recom-1 |