It would seem at first thought, if you will pardon the use of a timeworn phrase, “Like carrying coals to Newcastle," to bring to the New York State Bar Association anyone's conception of the proper mission of State Bar Associations. Your association stands easily at the head of such organizations, in the character of its membership, and its service to the law, and in its utility to the profession. I have no apology to make as a young man, and perforce of somewhat limited experience in the practice of the law, for undertaking to discuss this broad question, in the presence, constructively at least, of the cream of the lawyers of this powerful commonwealth, and I have no apology to make simply because I intend neither to trespass upon the domain of those learned in the science of the law itself, nor to make any statement that as coming from a young man may savor of presumption. I would rather speak as a non-professional, and at times as though living in the atmosphere and looking through the glasses of the client.

Your Association, more often than any other in the country, has listened to addresses of the same character as this. In 1880, Samuel Hand addressed you upon "Bar Association and The Profession." Elliott F. Shepard in 1885 spoke upon "The Duty of the Profession to Bar Associations." In 1888, Martin W. Cook read a paper upon "Bar Associations, What they may Undertake." I regret that in the preparation of this paper I have not had the opportunity to consult these addresses carefully, in order to ascertain how the subject has been heretofore presented to you, It has been treated to some extent in other States, notably by Melville W. Fuller before the Illinois State Bar Association, by William L. Gross, the earnest Secretary of that Association, and by Walter B. Hill, President of the Georgia State Bar

Association. The opportunities of Bar Associations as agencies for the promotion of all movements having for their object the improvement of the law and the profession, have also been touched upon and dwelt upon at length by the presidents of the various Associations in their annual addresses. It is a fair criticism upon all of these utterances, however, that they consist chiefly in "glittering generalities," or are beautifully constructed ideals of what bar associations ought to be. The field of practical suggestion has rarely been trodden, and it is the purpose of this paper to tread upon that field in a modest sort of a way, and stimulate if possible, a little interest in the practical work of bar associations.

Lawyers are busy men, and those whose ability and influence are most needed in furthering such work, are the most occupied with their business, and the least inclined to render assistance. They are in hearty sympathy, perhaps, with the various projects for reform in the law and its administration, but, with nothing more than their naked countenance of such reforms, their membership is productive of no benefit to themselves or the profession, unless it is that the mere fact of their names being upon the rolls is a silent inducement to others to ally themselves with such associations. Occasionally one of the more capable members of the profession finds time, with the assistance of a stenographer, to prepare an address to be delivered before a gathering of lawyers, drawing from a rich vocabulary for sonorous phrases, and symmetrically rounded rhetorical periods, and from a well stored mind for quotations from the writings of noted and revered jurists of olden times, topping off the literary structure perhaps with several paragraphs of beautiful and inspiring sentiment.

It is hardly necessary to enlarge, in this general way, upon the inert condition of state bar associations. It is a fact so notorious, that its truth is conceded. Some suggestions that may, perhaps, be dignified by the description of remedial measures, will be considered later.

If not especially instructive, it is at least interesting to know some thing about the various state bar associations of the country, and their relative activity. There are 29 of these associations: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. It may be noted in passing, although not relevent to this part of the discussion, that in fifteen of these twenty-nine States, a code in some form has been adopted.

Without intending to make any invidious distinction, I would place the first six associations in point of activity and usefulness as follows: New York, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Alabama and Oregon.

The Alabama Association was at one time very active, and is still quite influential in the State. It has a membership of about 200. A recent meeting of the Association was held at a lake resort, and in lieu of the conventional banquet, a barbacue dinner was served. The Association was organized in 1878. It has secured the enactment by the Legislature of several important measures, although in the majority of instances the Legislature has not looked kindly upon the Association, and frequently measures suggested by the association have been vigorously opposed and defeated by demagogues in the Legislature, who were lawyers, but not members of the association. The association is invested with the power to institute proceedings against attorneys. Some years ago, a prominent attorney was prosecuted by the Alabama organization, and although he escaped conviction, upon a technicality, the proceeding have had a healthy deterrent effect.

The Arkansas association is dead. It was organized in 1882 and died in 1890 with a membership of 76.

The California association is not very active. The President died about two years ago, and the officials, I am informed, are too busy to call it together and reorganize it.

The State Bar Association of Connecticut has amply justified its existence by procuring the enactment of the "Practice Act," if for no other reason. It has also been useful in securing the passage of beneficial laws of minor importance, and in raising the standard of the profession. The meetings, however, are not well attended. The association was organized in 1875, and has a total membership of 125, probably two-thirds of the active lawyers of the State, according to the secretary.

The District of Columbia Association is quite active, and has a membership of 175. The annual meetings are not well attended, but the interest has centered in the special meetings, when action looking to the formation of a Court of Appeals in the District has been under consideration. The Association itself has no distinctive social gathering, but there is an annual "shad-bake," so-called, an excursion down the Potomac, open to all of the bar of the district, and usually attended by the Justices of the Supreme Court and the Court of Claims. It is a very popular affair. The association has accumulated a library, the maintenance of which is the principal object of its existence. organized in 1874.

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The Florida association is practically extinct, passing out of existence about four years ago. It printed no reports of its pro ceedings.

The Georgia association is one of the few active ones. It was organized in 1884, and has a membership of about 250, about 100 of these attending each annual meeting. The cities in which the meetings are held, usually tender the association a banquet, fish dinner, boat ride or reception. The most valuable reforms accomplished by this association have been, simplifications and modifications of the civil procedure, and just recently the Legislature passed a bill providing for the appointment of a commission of first-class lawyers in each judicial district to examine applicants for admission to the bar, the method of examination by committees in open court being abrogated. The latter reform is on the line of a paper read at one of the recent meetings of the Georgia Association.

The Illinois association, next to New York is the most active and influential in the country, It was organized in 1876 and has 350 paying members. Their meetings always close with a banquet "with the ladies and without wine," says the Secretary. The Illinois system of intermediate courts of appeals is the direct result of the influence of the association, and the present agitation of the Torrens system of land titles was inaugurated by it. Some amendments to the criminal law of Illinois are also due to the influence of the association, notably an increase of penalty for crime on second and third convictions. The Illinois association takes an especial pride in the addresses and papers read before it, which have been of an exceptionally brilliant character. The Kentucky association has few members living outside of the Capital,' Frankfort, and is not active.

The Louisiania association has not met for nearly seven years, and is practically defunct. It has never published reports of its proceedings.

The Maine association re-organized in 1891, is fairly active, and has a membership of about 280. With the exception of one or two matters regulating practice, no legislation has as yet resulted from its influence.

The Minnesota association was formed in 1886, but has been inactive for the past three years. Its committees for the first two years, attempted to exercise influence over legislation, but did not succeed in competing with the "third house," and gave it up. its recommendations were acted upon, particularly a system of State examination for admission to the bar, which is a vast improvement over

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the old.

The Association in my own State, Michigan, was organized in 1890 and has about 350 members. It has been working during the three years of its active existence, to secure the passage of a bill regulating admission to the bar, and providing for a standing commission to examine applicants. It was instrumental in relieving the congestion of. business before the State Supreme Court, by bringing about the appointment of two additional justices, increasing their salary, and compelling them to reside at the State Capital, Lansing. The association was reorganized last year, and has under way needed reforms. I regret that I cannot submit a better report than this from my own State, but we hope that the persistence and earnestness of a few of the leading attorneys of the State will result in a very substantial increase in interest in the work of the Association.

The Missouri association is probably the fourth in strength and influence. It was organized in 1881, is very active, and has a membership of over 300. The annual meeting usually closes with a banquet and sometimes with a ball, which is attended by the wives and daughters of the members. It has had considerable influence in selecting appelate judges, in the enactment of legislation creating appellate courts and a supreme court commission to aid the supreme court, in adding two justices to the supreme court, and in causing the State to be re-districted judicially. It has not only succeeded in raising the standard for admission to the bar by legislative enactment, but has also urged the strict enforcement of the statute by the courts. Altogether, the Missouri association has amply justified its existence.

The Montana association was organised in 1885, has about forty paid members, and the annual meetings average an attendance of ten. It has had no perceptible influence in the State, and its recommendations to the Legislature have been few and feeble. In fact, it is, as its Secretary says, "comatose if not really moribund.”

The New Mexico association, organized in 1886, is also small, having but seventy-five members. It is quite active, however, and is able to boast that all of its recommendations have been acted upon by the Legislature. It has a code in preparation, which it fully anticipates will be enacted by the Legislature.

I now come to the New York State Bar Association, and will not promise to tell you that which you already know. I can only repeat, that you are known everywhere throughout the United States as the leading state bar association in the country, in every respect, and that the lawyers of other States look up to you as a pattern