THE BAR.
There are three thousand lawyers practicing at the New York bar. A few
of these have large incomes, two or three making as much as fifty
thousand dollars per annum; but the average income of the majority is
limited. An income of ten or fifteen thousand dollars is considered
large in the profession, and the number of those earning such a sum is
small.
In most cities the members of the legal profession form a clique, and
are very clannish. Each one knows everybody else, and if one member of
the bar is assailed, the rest are prompt to defend him. In New York,
however, there is no such thing as a legal "fraternity." Each man is
wrapped in his own affairs, and knows little and cares less about other
members of the profession. We have been surprised to find how little
these men know about each other. Some have never even heard of others
who are really prosperous and talented.
The courts of the city are very numerous; and each man, in entering
upon his practice, makes a specialty of some one or more of them, and
confines himself to them. His chances of success are better for doing
this, than they would be by adopting a general practice. Indeed, it
would be simply impossible for one man to practice in all.
Many of the best lawyers rarely go into the courts. They prefer chamber
practice, and will not try a case in court if they can help it. The
process in the courts is slow and vexatious, and consumes too much of
their time. Their chamber practice is profitable to them, and
beneficial to the community, as it prevents much tedious litigation.
Many lawyers with fair prospects and comfortable incomes, who are
succeeding in their profession in other places, come to New York,
expecting to rise to fame and fortune more rapidly here. They are
mistaken. The most accomplished city barrister finds success a slow and
uncertain thing. It takes some unusually fortunate circumstance to
introduce a new lawyer favorably to a New York public.
The profession in this city can boast of some eminent names in its list
of members, amongst which are those of Charles O'Conor, William M.
Evarts, the present Attorney-General of the United States, James F.
Brady, David Dudley Field, and William J. A. Fuller. These, or any of
them, are men of the first ability in their profession, and are amongst
the most honored citizens of the metropolis.