Union College of Law.

periodical upon different law schools, it seems to be considered in some cases that no examinations were required at all, and in others that none worthy the name were required as a condition to graduation in law in this country a quarter of a century ago. While that may have been true in their own history, it has not been true at the Union Col lege of Law. The Chicago " Daily Tribune" of Monday, July 1, 1861, announced the following : —

337

and contrasted, and the peculiar relations of les sors, lessees, tenants for life, tenants at will, and the various modes of conveyancing, fully consid ered. The multitudinous questions arising out of wills, divorces, and the rights of husbands in the property of wives were next entered into. The subjects of dower and jointure were treated. . . . The afternoon session of the school was devoted to ex amination of the students on pleadings. Actions of assumpsit, replevin, covenant, trespass on the case, detinue, and tort were explained. In reference to trespass on the case, especially, there was a "The commencement exercises in the Law very lengthy questioning School this week will be which resulted very satis factorily, all the students as follows : — "An examination of seeming to be well posted students on Constitu in these matters. Ac tional Law, the Law of tions of trover were then Nations and Real Estate, elucidated. Mortgages Monday, 9 o'clock a. m. then came in for their "Oratorical exercises, share of attention. Their Monday, 3 o'clock p. m. nature was explained, and the relative positions of "Examination in Pleadings and Evidence, mortgagor and mortga Tuesday, 9 o'clock a. m. gee clearly defined. Re demption to be made "Extemporaneous de and how effected by bate on the Constitution equity after the property of the United States, had become irredeem Tuesday, 3 o'clock p. M. able at Common Law. "Examination in Con . . . Foreclosure, its na tracts, Commercial Law, ture and effects, and Equity, Criminal Law, how sales of property Personal Rights, and Do were made under it, . . . mestic Relations, Wed LYMAN TRUMBULL. were explained. . . . The nesday, 9 o'clock A. M." exercises were exceed Such a list of subjects and the times as ingly interesting, and manifested an unusual degree signed to each would assure an examination of proficiency." which would be a very good test of compe tency. How rigid those examinations were, Examinations upon other subjects were de appears in the same paper, of date July 1, scribed with the same minuteness. From the quotations above, it appears that this 1862, where it is said, — school at that early day conducted exam "The questions submitted to the students dur ing the morning session were only upon National inations as a condition of graduation as thor and International Law and Real Estate. . . . The oughly as is usual at the present time. The students have access to the Law Li intricate questions as to real estate were extremely brary of the Law Institute, by permission well handled. In connection therewith, the vari of its managers. They have no need of any ous modes of holding property, from feudal days more library than they find there. Although down to our own times, were closely examined 45