OCR Text |
Show iAll Signs Point to Reorganization of American Bar Association P,y f'itKSiniC.NT RUGIJK .SlIKIt.MAN', Illinois State Bar Association. T7 T7 K? K WELL know that with all their ability along professional lt II a"J business lines tlie lawyers of the United Stat s have v V neither a complete nor an effective organization. Admittedly Admit-tedly the American i!ar association possesses only a Email fraction of the Ktrenrth and influence it should have. It is made up of individuals only and lacks the power that it would possess if it were Lacked by the force of the state bar associations throughout the nation. There is in fact no bond between the state organizations and the American Amer-ican iiar association. The latter can act in the various states only through its own organization and it3 individual members. The local associations as-sociations aro not its agencies nor do they have any voice in its management. manage-ment. We have, therefore, various state groups going their own way, unrelated un-related and with no bonds between them, and a national association independent in-dependent of state organizations, isolated so far as they are concerned and made up of individuals only. The mere statement of these facts shows at once the utter lack of coherence of the bar as a whole. All signs point to the reorganization of the American Bar association associa-tion in the near future so that it will be truly representative of the state associations as well as its own members. The necessities of the present situation demand it. There is no harm in dreaming, occasionally at least, and it is pleasant to imagine a national body vitalized by all the state organizations and those in turn composed of all the lawyers in their respective states. Such an association and only such an association would represent the entire bar of the nation. It would put the profession profes-sion in the position it is entitled to occupy a position of great dignity and power. Then indeed we might hope to accomplish the purposes for which lawyers meet and organize to promote reform in the law. to facilitate the administration of justice, to elevate the standard of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession, to encourage a thorough and liberal legal education and to cultivate and cherish a spirit of brotherhood among all the members thereof. |