Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 57, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 March 1904 — A Promising Innovation, [ARTICLE]

A Promising Innovation,

A Course of Law Lectures in the High School. The School Board and Superintendent Sanders have under advisement a proposition of the greatest importance to our community, namely the introduction into the High School curriculum of a course of practical lectures on Indiana"commercial law, to be delivered to the graduating class each year. {This certainly seems to be an effort in the right direc tion and we understand that the plan has the unqualified endorsement of all our business men and members of the local bar who have expressed themselves upon the subject. The High Schools are supposed to fit young people for life in ease they pursue their studies no further and since nothing is of greater im portance to business men or women than a working knowledge of the law that governs their every tran* action. Many gain this knowledge so neror later but only through experience and very often at a personal loss that judicious schooling might easily have prevented The present plan embraces the delivery of a series of specially prepared lectures and quizzes on purely business law as regulated by the Statute* of Indiana only, the assumption being that our graduates will enter business in our own State, witn the natural inference that ff the y do business in other states or foreign countries they will be sufficiently advised to inform themselves as to the law of the place before co mnitting them selves and incurring iisk. In other words, it is intended not to attempt to make full-fledged lawyers but to impress upon young persons a due knowledge and respect for the law together with the vital faot that “Ignorance of the law excuses no one,” The principal drawback at pre sent is a lack of funds at the disposal of the School Board but we also understand that this obstacle has been promptly met by a pub lie spirited offer on the part of several of our best lawyers and speakers to undertake the lectures for next year without pay, in evi dence of their hearty approval of the idea.