"With the second-rate law schools turning out mediocre lawyers as fast as they now are, every man of real competence in the profession is assured of all the business he can possibly handle during the rest of his natural life." This remark, made by a Boston attorney in private conversation the other day, is interestingly borne out by the statement just published of the average yearly carnings of the members of the Harvard Law School class of 1905. The report, covering 119 men, shows an average professional income of $18,634. Moreover, a close analysis shows that this high level is act only mathematically but practically sound as a measure of the "average" earnings of Harvard-trained lawyers in their twentieth year of practice. Although there are three men earning over $100,000 and seventeen over $25,000, these exceptionally handsome returns are not numerous enough greatly to falsify the result for the class in general. As many as forty-six men are earning over $10,000. Only four are earning less than $2500. It seems safe, therefore, to set $10,000 as easily the "fair to middling" return which graduates of first-rate law schools may normally expect to earn in the prime of life.

With such a standard obtaining--certainly the highest prevailing in any of the learned professions--it is small wonder that so many young men, from all walks of life, continue to make clamor today at the gates of our law schools and continue to seek, after gaining such training as they may, formal admission to the bar. Beyond question the real income which actually awaits many of the less competent and less highly trained men will never rise as high as the $18,634 average just now reported. We doubt very much whether the professional earnings of all the men at the Boston bar average half that amount. But there are shining rewards at the top of the profession! They attract all youths and sundry. Some, through sheer ability no matter what school they came from, will attain the goal. But many among them, if we may credit the dictum of the Boston lawyer here cited, will never spin the churn themselves, but ironically will greatly help others to win it. By reason of the incompetent advice which incompetent men among them will give, and by reason of the litigation which the petty attorney seeks always to foster, they will be constantly creating legal muddles and complications which the more competent members of the profession will be busy "the rest of their natural lives" in untangling.

It is a strangely vicious circle. Competent conscientious lawyers for their part are the first to strive to avoid for their clients all unnecessary litigation. But men of lesser standards attracted into the profession by the success of these very men constantly make for an increase of litigation whether their brothers wish it or no. The only available brake upon such development is an increased severity in the terms of admission to the bar. Boston Transcript.