How They Do Down East

Prof. E. F. Johnson, secretary of the Univei-sity of Michigan law facnlty, returned last Thnrsday nijtht from a ten days' trip to Washington City and the east generally, and gave the Daily Times the followina account of his trip: His purpose in making the trip was personally to study the methods of the instruction made use of in the severa! law schools of the east. His reception at each of the eleven colleges of law visited was all he desired, the opportunities and facilities affbrded him unlimited, and the conclusions arrived at satisfaetory in the highest degree. He ppent only a brief time in Waah ingtOD City, a view of the inauguration ceremonies heing secondary to his main purpose in niaking the trip. In the Capital city, however, he visited tliree law schools. Nn one of these has 1 lar ge attendance,' and the students r.t all of t hem seem to he mostly office holders in the governmpiit service, who are spending their eveninga in preparing a professional training agaiust the time when Uncle Sana sliall 110 longer require their services. Froni Washington City the professor went to the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. Then lie visited in turn the several law schools of Columbia, College of the City of New York, University of New York, Yale, Harvard, Boston University and Cornell University, making a total of 11 law schools yisited, law schools with a total attendance of over 3.700. In making this wide circuit, Prof. Johnson visited upwards of 50 recitations. The conclusión of these investigations, aecording to the professor, ia vfiy complimentarv to the law school of onr own University of Michigan. At no scliool oufside of Harvard did he find as mn"li.wortbeing done, and at Harvard every student is required to possess the degree of B A., except in the most exceptional cases. Even here, however, lie fnimd mudi of Miehigan's enthusiasm and enprgy lacking. At Harvard the "Case SystPm" o.f instructinii is exclusivelv iised. Prof. Lanvdpll. of that school, being the foiinder of the system. At Michigan tlie cise system is onlv partially iised. going side l)v side with t!ie text book ai id leclure system, which combi ned metliod Prof. Johnson ooneludes, upnn the whole. produces the most atisfactory results. Outside of Oolumbia and Harvard most of the inHtrnction is fnniished liy prarttitioners, for mnny reasons an undesirab e plan. At the end of bis tour of inspection Prof. Johnson returns to Ann Arbor lar better pleased with the instruction, conditions and life of our own law school than ever before. He found many thingg in other schools which might profitaljly be incorporated into our own, but many more in our school which would be advantaaeous to our sisters in the east. He found few facnlties the equal of Michigan's law faculty, and lieard evervwhere words of highest praise for the U. of M. law school.