University of Virginia Library

Law Department.

       

JAS. H. GILMORE, LL. D.,	Professor of Law.
WM. MINOR LILE, B. L.	Professor of Law.
WALTER D. DABNEY, B. L.	Professor of Law.
RALEIGH C. MINOR, M. A., B. L.	Adjunct Professor of Law.

COURSE OF STUDY.

The course is arranged for two years, and, since the future professional success
of the student depends upon his full mastery of elementary principles,
it is not prudent to devote less time to preparing himself for the practice of
the law. It is a maxim sanctioned by long and wide experience that "he
who is not a good lawyer when he comes to the bar, will seldom be a good one
afterwards." In order to acquire such thorough acquaintance with the
elements of the law, thought is requisite as well as reading; and, for the purpose
of thought, there must be time to digest as well as industry to acquire.
One cannot expect to gorge himself with legal principles and to digest them
afterwards; the process of assimilation must accompany the reception of
knowledge, if it is to proceed healthfully and beneficially.

The course is organized with a view to acquaint the student familiarly and
practically with the principles of his profession. Especial care is taken to
teach him to think for himself, and to rely upon reason and principle, rather
than upon memory; it being considered that it is better for the student to
follow the principle to its legitimate conclusion, even though that conclusion
be at variance with the decision of the courts, than to arrive at a faultless
result by the exercise of memory, or by accident.

The instruction is as thorough as possible, and is given partly through
text-books and partly through lectures, with careful daily examinations upon
both.

MOOT COURT.

A Moot Court, with its accompanying instruction, tends to perfect the
student in the details of practice. Under the immediate supervision of the
Professors, he is required to write opinions upon supposed cases; to draw
wills, contracts, conveyances, and other assurances; to devise and institute
remedies by suit or otherwise; to conduct actions at law and suits in equity;

to argue questions of law and of fact; and, in short, to perform most of the
functions of practising counsel.

LIBRARY.

The department is provided with an excellent law library, which has recently
received considerable additions, and contains several thousand volumes
of well-selected reports and text-books, English and American. Its location
has been chosen with especial reference to the convenience of the student.
And, while he is not encouraged to venture for himself into either cases or
text-books, save for the purpose of verifying or clearing up some proposition
of the lecture, or for the preparation of opinions or briefs, the student is
especially incited to familiarize himself with the bibliography of the law and
the use of the books. To this subject, in addition to the instruction incidentally
given, several lectures are especially devoted. The student is taught
how to look up authorities, where to look, and how to run down cases; how
to ascertain the doctrine of a case, and to distinguish it from the dicta; to
analyze, criticise and compare cases; how to distinguish imperative authority
from that which is persuasive only; what the leading text-books are on the
various subjects taught, with some reference to their comparative merits;
how to prepare briefs; and, generally, so to accustom himself to law books
and their use as to enable him to investigate, with intelligence and skill, any
question that may come within the scope of his duty at the bar.

ARRANGEMENT OF CLASSES.

The course of instruction in the Law Department comprises eight separate
classes, the arrangement of which contemplates that two years shall be devoted
to the completion of the course. As shown in the subjoined table, four
of these classes constitute the first year's studies, and four the studies of the
second year.

In the first year's course there are eight lectures, and in the second year's
course seven lectures, weekly. The lectures occupy an hour and a half each.
The first year's course therefore calls for twelve hours of class work, and the
second ten and a half hours, each week. In addition, any Professor has the
privilege of requiring attendance upon one extra lecture each alternate week,
in each class, for the purpose of review or such other instruction as does not
add new matter to the prescribed course upon which the class is to be
examined for graduation.

The following table exhibits an outline of the course, the number of
lectures in each class, and a list of the text-books used:

FIRST YEAR'S COURSE.

               

1. Constitutional and International Law,	Prof. Gilmore.
Text-Books.—Vattel's Law of Nations; Professor's Printed Notes; The Federalist; Printed Notes of Professor on the Constitution. Two lectures a week throughout the session to April 1.
2. The Law of Personal Relations; Personal Property; Partnership; Probate and Administration,	Prof. Lile.
Text-Books.—Vols. I. and III. Minor's Institutes; Printed Notes of Professor; Burks' Property Rights of Married Women. Two lectures a week throughout the session to April 15.
3. The Law of Pleading and Practice in Civil Cases,	Prof. Dabney.
Text-Book.—Vol. IV. Minor's Institutes. Two lectures a week throughout the session to May 15.
4. The Law of Contracts; Torts; Carriers,	Prof. Dabney.
Text-Books.—Clark on Contracts; Webb's Pollock on Torts; (Text-Book on Carriers to be announced.) Two lectures a week throughout the session.

SECOND YEAR'S COURSE.

               

1. The Law of Evidence; Equity Jurisprudence and Procedure,	Prof. Gilmore.
Text-Books.—Vol. I. Greenleaf's Evidence; Adams' Equity; Printed Notes of Professor. Two lectures a week throughout the session.
2. The Law of Negotiable Instruments; Sales; Insurance; Corporations,	Prof. Lile.
Text-Books.—Bigelow's Bills, Notes and Cheques (Student's Series); Tiffany on Sales; Richards on Insurance; Printed Notes of Professor on Corporations, (Text-Book to be announced.) Two lectures a week throughout the session.
3. The Law of Real Estate,	Prof. Minor.
Text-Book.—Vol. II. Minor's Institutes. Three lectures a week throughout the session until April 1.
4. The Law of Crimes and Punishments,	Prof. Minor.
Text-Book.—Minor's Synopsis of Criminal Law. Three lectures a week from April 1 to close of session.

EXAMINATIONS AND DEGREE.

The degree of Bachelor of Law is conferred upon those students who manifest
an intimate acquaintance with all of the subjects embraced in the course,
evidenced by successfully passing all the written examinations, intermediate

and final, in each of the eight classes, and who have satisfactorily performed
the Moot Court, or other assigned, work.

The rule formerly prevailing in this department required applicants for
the degree to attend the lectures in all the classes, and to stand all the regular
written examinations on every subject in the course, during the year of
their candidacy, without credit for any class completed in a previous year—except
in the class of Constitutional and International Law. With the beginning
of the session of 1895-'96 a radical departure was inaugurated, by permitting
a candidate to complete a portion of the course in one session and the
remainder the following session, without requiring attendance upon the lectures,
or further examination, in such classes as he may have previously completed.
But a re-examination in the work of a previous year may be required,
whenever, in any case, it may be deemed proper.

Two written examinations, an intermediate and a final, are held in
each class (save in that of Criminal Law, in which a single examination is
held at the close of the session), making fifteen examinations in the entire
course—seven in the first and eight in the second year.

The general policy of the University is to permit students to elect their
own work, and to give them due credit for its satisfactory completion, without
regard to the time devoted to it. There is, therefore, no positive rule
forbidding students to undertake the whole course in a single year, or withholding
from them the degree in case of its successful completion. But the
student is warned that even though he may have had exceptional legal training
he can scarcely hope to complete the course in a single year; and if by
extreme diligence and industry he should succeed in the effort, he is apt to
find that he has acquired more than he has been able to digest.

The fact is emphasized that since the reorganization of the Department
and the very considerable enlargement of the course of study, it is practically
impossible to complete the work, as had not been unusual before, in a
single year. Students who can attend but a single session are earnestly
advised to take special courses, which the arrangements of the classes readily
permit.

No entrance examinations are held, and no advanced standing can be secured
by certificates of work accomplished at other law schools—the whole course must
be completed here.

Candidates who attain a standard of seventy-five per centum in any Junior
class, but who fail to reach the minimum grade required for graduation
(eighty-three per centum), are entitled, after matriculation, to stand an examination
at the beginning of the following session on the subjects comprised
in the class or classes in which they have so failed, and to receive the same

credit for the result as if achieved during the previous session. This will
enable the earnest student to make up during the summer any deficiency of
the previous year, and to go forward with his second year's course, unhampered
by work brought over from his first year.

Candidates for the degree, who in any session have less than one full year's
course to complete, may be required to take such additional work, and to
stand such additional examinations, as may be prescribed.

Seats in the Law Lecture-room are assigned in the order of matriculation.

EXPENSES.

(IN THE LAW DEPARTMENT.)

The necessary expenses of a student in the Law Department, for the session
of nine months, are estimated as below for the lowest rate and for a
more liberal scale of living:

                     

Tuition,	$100	$100
Matriculation,[1]	40	40
Contingent deposit,	10	10
Dormitory rent,	15	30
Servant's attendance,	9	9
Furniture for dormitory,	9	19
Fuel and lights,	12	24
Washing,	14	14
Board	99	162
Total	$308	$408
Payable on entrance,	230	284

The contingent deposit of $10 is assessed for any damage to property, violation
of library rules, etc., by the student; the balance remaining to his
credit is returned to him on his leaving the University.

To the above estimate must be added the cost of books and stationery,
about $90 for the entire course. The books are not fairly to be accounted
amongst the expenses, since they constitute a permanent investment, and
will form the nucleus of a library when the student becomes a practitioner.

The tuition fee of $100 covers the charges for the regular first or second
year's course, including any first year class taken but not completed the first
year, and brought over into the second year. It also covers any other combination
of four classes. For more than four classes the fee is $115; for
three classes $85; for two classes, $65; for one class, $40. In estimating the
fees, the classes in real estate and criminal law are regarded as one.

Mr. James B. Green, B. L. (U. Va., 1871), acts as Licentiate Instructor in the Law
Department.

SCHEDULE OF LECTURES—1896-'7.

             

	Monday.	Tuesday.	Wednesday.	Thursday.	Friday.	Saturday.
9 A. M. to 10:30 A. M.		Prof. Minor.	Prof. Dabney	Prof. Dabney
		2d Yr.Course. (Real Est., etc.)	1st Yr.Course (Pl. & Pract.)	1st Yr.Course (Contracts, etc.)
11. A. M. to 12:30 P. M.	Prof. Lile.	Prof. Lile.	Prof. Lile.	Prof. Lile.	Prof. Minor.	Prof. Minor.
	2d Yr.Course (Neg. Instr., etc.)	1st Yr.Course (Pers. Relat., etc.)	2d Yr. Course. (Neg. Instr., etc.)	1st Yr.Course (Pers. Relat., etc.)	2d Yr. Course (Real Est., etc.)	2d Yr. Course (Real Est., etc.)
12:30 P. M. to 2 P. M.	Prof. Dabney	Prof. Dabney	Prof. Gilmore	Prof. Gilmore	Prof. Gilmore	Prof. Gilmore
	1st Yr.Course (Pl. & Pract.)	1st Yr.Course (Contracts, etc.)	1st Yr. Course (Const. & Int. Law.)	2d Yr. Course (Ev. & Eq.)	1st Yr.Course (Const. & Int. Law.)	2d Yr. Course (Ev. & Eq.)

SCHEDULE OF EXAMINATIONS—1896-'7.

                   

FIRST YEAR COURSE.		INTERMEDIATE.	FINAL.
Constitut. and Internat. Law	Prof. Gilmore.	About Jan. 9.	About April 30.
Personal Relations, &c	Prof. Lile.	January 23.	April 14.
Contracts, &c	Prof. Dabney.	February 8.	June 2.
Pleading and Practice	Prof. Dabney.	March 11.	May 14.
SECOND YEAR COURSE.
Real Estate	Prof. Minor.	December 19.	March 31.
Negotiable Instruments, &c	Prof. Lile.	February 12.	May 27.
Evidence and Equity	Prof. Gilmore.	February 26.	June 5.
Criminal Law	Prof. Minor.		June 10.