Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 24.pdf/84

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The Law in Milwaukee waukee County. He is one of the able judges of the local courts. He has had a long and varied practice in all of the courts of the state, and he comes to the discharge of the judicial function with a ripe legal experience to support him. He is past middle life and is eminently fair in his ru'ings. Judge Turner has taken an active interest in public education, having been a member of the Board of Education and of the State Board of Normal School Regents. Charles H. Van Alstine, Esq., is';a railroad attorney who lives at Oconomowoc, a suburb of Milwaukee, but who has his law offices in this city. He has long been engaged in the trial of actions for various corporations and is regarded as among the best of his class in the city or state. In negligence cases, particularly, he has no superior in this part of the country. Mr. Van Alstine has made a specialty of this class of law business and he has excelled in it. At present he is the attorney for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company. Hon. Edward Q. Nye is a good trial lawyer, but his present position as

Referee in Bankruptcy takes all of his time and attention. He was in the Civil War and is past middle life. He is 'a forcible speaker and has been in many political campaigns. As an officer of the United States courts he has shown himself to be fair, honest and capable. He is a creditable member of the public service. The foregoing resume of the bench and bar of Milwaukee, while admittedly not complete, touches upon many of the members in a somewhat free and easy manner. The purpose has been to call to public notice such of the mem bers as have, by reason of long and distinguished service, received local rec ognition. This, it is true, may not always have been as lawyers or judges. But the recognition is there, neverthe less. And it is no disparagement of others not mentioned that they are not included in this list. As a concluding remark, we feel fully warranted in saying that the law in Milwaukee is we!1 represented by its bench and bar. It is free from the taint of corruption and its ethics are far above the average in cities of its class.

Milwaukee, Wis.

R. BRVCK, in his biographical sketch of Sir George Jessel, late Lord Chancellor, relates that during his long and honorable career upon only three occasions did he fail to decide the matter presented to him at the termination of the case or of the argument. And yet in New York City trifling practice motions for amending answers, striking out portions of pleadings, making matters more definite and certain, etc., arc taken under advisement for an indefinite time. The public naturally be lieve all this due to legal technicality, and think the law a mere Chinese puzzle, enacted by lawyers for the benefit of lawyers; the real fact being that, had the people always chosen to elect competent judges, and more ' clients represented by trained lawyers, a way could almost always be found to do justice without violence to those rules and precedents which are necessary in order to secure some degree of certainty and uniformity. — Frederic R. Coudert.