VI. It shall not be Lawful for a Woman to Act as an Attorney, but She may Conduct Her Own Case in Court.
No woman can conduct a case under the authority of another, but she is not forbidden to transact her own business in court. Nor can a husband conduct the case of his wife without authority from her; and, indeed, he should protect himself with such an instrument in writing, that the wife may not repudiate the whole proceeding; and if she should repudiate it, the husband shall undergo the penalty to which he is liable who presumed to conduct a case without the authority of his wife. And if the husband should lose a case which he prosecuted without the order of his wife, her rights shall in no way be prejudiced; and she can afterwards either prosecute the case herself, or can authorize any one she wishes to do whatever is proper in the matter. And if the case should justly go against the husband, and the wife should believe that the adversary who prevailed should again be sued; and, after the second trial, it should be apparent that her husband was not unjustly beaten in the first trial, the wife shall render satisfaction as prescribed by law, not only to the judge who first heard the case, but also to the other party whom she brought into court for the second time.
ANCIENT LAW.
VII. The Constituent shall receive the Benefit, and bear the Loss, resulting from Proceedings Instituted by his Attorney.
He who authorizes a case to be conducted by another as his attorney, shall enjoy the profit, or endure the loss resulting from the same, according to the circumstances; and he who carried on the action in compliance with his instructions, and exerted himself faithfully in the performance of his duty, shall not be deprived of his commission by his constituent; nor shall the latter be permitted to afterwards transfer the conduct of the case to another; because it is unjust that he who is known to have labored faithfully in the business which he has undertaken, should be deprived of his reward. He who is about to assume the conduct of a case should have an understanding with his constituent beforehand, and ascertain what amount he is to receive as a recompense for his services after the cause has been decided. And if he who conducted the case shall neglect to deliver to his constituent, within three months, any property which came into his hands under the decree, he shall lose the compensation for his services which he would otherwise have received; and shall be compelled by order of court to deliver to his constituent, whatever he was entitled to under the decision.
VIII. If an Attorney should Die, his Heirs shall be entitled to his Fees.
Where any person authorizes another to conduct a case for him, and dies before it is heard, said authority shall determine; and if he who received it should be surprised by death before the cause is heard, then also the order addressed to him before his death shall have no validity. But if the cause has been heard and energetically prosecuted through his diligence, and yet, for some reason or other, it was not entirely concluded, or some payment should remain to be made before final settlement; and if the case has been prosecuted as far as he who was commissioned to conduct it should have carried it; then, his heirs shall be entitled to receive from the constituent whatever compensation their ancestor would have been entitled to.
FLAVIUS CHINTASVINTUS, KING.
IX. What Persons those in Power, and those that are Poor, may appoint to Conduct their Cases.
It shall not be lawful for any one who selects an attorney to conduct his case, under any circumstances, to appoint a person who is more powerful than himself, so that the capacity to oppress, or terrify, may be greater than his own. For if a powerful person should be involved in a lawsuit with one who is poor, and is unwilling to conduct it himself, he cannot appoint any one else to carry it on but one of equal standing with, or perhaps inferior to, the other party. But, on the other hand, if a poor man chooses, he may select as his attorney any one of equal rank and power with his adversary.