ADVICE TO A YOUNG MAN INTERESTED IN GOING INTO LAW

FELIX FRANKFURTER

INTRODUCTION

Felix Frankfurter was born in Vienna, Austria, on Nov. 15, 1882. At the age of 12 he and his six brothers and sisters were taken to the United States. Following graduation from the College of the City of New York in 1902, Frankfurter entered Harvard Law School. He became editor of the Harvard Law Review and earned his degree in 1906 with honors. Henry Stimson, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, appointed Frankfurter an assistant in 1906. When President William Howard Taft named Stimson secretary of war in 1911, Stimson took Frankfurter along as law officer of the Bureau of Insular Affairs. Frankfurter was made a Supreme Court justice in 1939. As he had no children, he adopted three English refugee children.

LETTER OF M.PAUL CLAUSSEN Jr.

In May 1954, a 12 year old school boy M. Paul Claussen Jr. from Alexandria, Virginia wrote a letter to Justice Felix Frankfurter. In the letter he expressed his interest in going into law as his career. He wanted to start his preparation from the Junior school itself. He sought the advice and guidelines of the Justice Felix Frankfurter in this regard. The present prose work is the reply letter of Felix Frankfurter to Paul Claussen.

TRULY COMPETENT LAWYER

Felix feels that if one wants to be a capable lawyer, he must be a cultivated man. He advised to Paul that he first forget the technical preparation for law. It is must he says. To prepare for law career, he must enter into Law course as a well-read personality.

USE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE

To become a true lawyer, he must have the knowledge of standard English language. By acquiring the capacity of using English in both speech and thinking, one can acquire the true knowledge. Such knowledge can only be given by the truly liberal education.

 EMPLOYING IMAGINATIVE FACULTIES

Felix is expressing that, for a lawyer, he must develop his imaginative faculties by reading poetry, seeing great paintings and listening to music. By doing the above mentioned things, one may get peace of mind, clear mindset and can do well in his duties.

CONCLUSION

He finally says that, he must read a lot and deposit that knowledge in his mind for the future. By learning the mysterious of this universe, he can widen and deepen his feelings. If he (Paul) follows the words of Felix, he may forget all about his future career, Because, the above things are the foundation for starting the good career.