when abe lincoln was lawyer

by Monserrate Little Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 7 min read

Lincoln in Court

He was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1836 and practiced law there for 25 years. Most of his work involved settling debts, contracts, business disputes, divorces, and some criminal cases.

Was Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer?

Abraham Lincoln enjoyed a successful legal career in Illinois spanning nearly 25 years. Like most lawyers of his time, he did not attend law school. It was customary to study under established lawyers, but he lived in a rural village and taught himself.

Was Abraham Lincoln a lawyer before he became president?

He was self-educated and became a lawyer, Whig Party leader, Illinois state legislator, and U.S. Congressman from Illinois. In 1849, he returned to his law practice but became vexed by the opening of additional lands to slavery as a result of the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854.

Was Lincoln a successful lawyer?

In 1858, Lincoln successfully defended his client who had been accused of murder in one of his most famous trials, dubbed the Almanac Trial.

What did Abraham Lincoln say about lawyers?

"If you wish to be a lawyer, attach no consequence to the place you are in, or the person you are with; but get books, sit down anywhere, and go to reading for yourself. That will make a lawyer of you quicker than any other way." The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P.

Do all presidents have law degrees?

Of the 46 US presidents, 27 worked as lawyers, including current president Joe Biden, but not all of them have actually earned law degrees.

When did Lincoln stop practicing law?

In the 1840s, Abraham Lincoln took on his first Illinois State Supreme Court case just before ending his partnership with Logan. After he got elected to the US Congress in 1846, Lincoln took a 2-year break from practicing law.

When did Abraham Lincoln start studying law?

Lincoln never attended law school. He studied on his own while working as a clerk in a law office. In 1836, the state of Illinois certified him as being a “person of good moral character,” an essential first step toward opening his own practice.

What nickname was he given while working as a lawyer?

He earned a reputation for honesty while working the circuit as a lawyer. As Richard Carwardine writes in his Lincoln biography, “The nickname 'honest Abe' was not the fabrication of party publicists but a mark of the universal respect in which he was held as a lawyer of scrupulous honesty.

What is an attorney called?

In the United States, the terms lawyer and attorney are often used interchangeably. For this reason, people in and out of the legal field often ask, “is an attorney and a lawyer the same thing?”. In colloquial speech, the specific requirements necessary to be considered a lawyer vs attorney aren't always considered.

Who said a lawyer who represents himself?

Abraham Lincoln reportedly employed the following adage. Here are two versions: If you are your own lawyer you have a fool for a client. He who represents himself has a fool for a client.

How did Lincoln Learn law?

He decided to attempt a career as a lawyer, but rather than going to law school, Lincoln was self-taught. He rigorously studied by reading a large selection of previous legal cases and law books, and in 1836, at the young age of 25, he obtained his law license.

Who said an attorney who represents himself?

“A lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.” - Feher Law.

What was Abraham Lincoln's career?

While he was an important part of American history in this regard, he also had a successful career as a lawyer . This background is part of what made Lincoln so adapted to writing excellent speeches and what made him so well-versed in understanding the law as well as right versus wrong. He spent most of his early life on a farm in Indiana and eventually moved to Illinois, where he took several jobs, including as a storekeeper and a surveyor. But his deep interest in the law formed the foundation for what he would become later in life.

How did Abraham Lincoln impact the American people?

This helped him win a seat in the House of Representatives in 1846. He spoke out against the Mexican-American War and against slavery, which he felt needed to be abolished. He ran as a Republican for president in 1860 and was successfully elected as the 16th president of the United States in 1861. He was then re-elected in 1864. Throughout his presidential career, Abraham Lincoln fought tirelessly against the horrors of slavery and tried diligently to unite a divided nation. His leadership during the Civil War was integral to how our country is shaped today. Sadly, he was assassinated at Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. This moment in history is known as one of America's darkest days. People all over the country revered Lincoln as a great man, even those who may have disagreed with him. Today, his legacy as a uniting force for America and someone who fought tirelessly for freedom lives on.

What was Lincoln's role in the Civil War?

His leadership during the Civil War was integral to how our country is shaped today. Sadly, he was assassinated at Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865.

What is Lincoln's legacy?

Today, his legacy as a uniting force for America and someone who fought tirelessly for freedom lives on.

Move to Illinois

Many people are unaware that Lincoln was mostly self-educated and learned to read while in Kentucky, scratching words on the back of a shovel as his paper pad of sorts.

Did Abraham Lincoln Attend Law School?

Abraham Lincoln enjoyed a 25-year legal career in Illinois, but he was never really educated in the field. He did practice law but did not take the traditional law school route. Like many lawyers in the 1800s, Abraham Lincoln never received his legal education or attended law school.

When Did Abraham Lincoln Practice Law?

In 1834, Abraham caught the attention of a lawyer by the name of John Stuart, who gave Lincoln a lot of legal books to study and encouraged him to pick up this profession. As bright as Lincoln was, within 3 years, the stout gentleman joined John Stuart as a partner in his law practice.

Abe and the Illinois Supreme Court

Where was the Lincoln trial moved?

Local citizens were so enraged by the killing that the trial had to be moved to the Cass County courthouse in Beardstown, Illinois. As the trial proceeded, Lincoln sat placidly while prosecutors made their case.

Who was Lincoln's wife when he was in New Salem?

Many years earlier, when Lincoln had lived in New Salem, he had been invited to share the stark cabin of Jack and Hannah Armstrong. They had treated him as family. Hannah had cooked his meals and mended his clothing, and Lincoln had rocked their infant son to sleep in his cradle. Now a widow, Hannah Armstrong appealed to Lincoln to save her son.

How long did it take Lincoln to acquit Duff Armstrong?

After only an hour the jury acquitted Duff Armstrong of all charges. Lincoln refused to accept any payment for his work. After twenty years, this self-taught lawyer had risen to the top of the legal profession. His courtroom appearances drew large crowds who hung on his words.

How far away was Lincoln when he set his trap?

Lincoln had set his trap, and slowly began closing it. Allen testified several times that he had been standing no more than 150 feet away and had seen everything clearly in the brightness of the full moon.

Who was charged with the murder of Duff Armstrong?

It was impossible to determine which blow had killed him, so both Armstrong and Norris were charged with the crime. Norris was tried first, and was quickly convicted and sentenced to eight years. There seemed to be little hope for Duff Armstrong—and then Abe Lincoln took his case.

Did Lincoln cross-examine Allen?

When the prosecutor finished with his witness, Lincoln began his cross-examination and led Allen through the testimony he had just provided, focusing in on the details: Did you see the fight? Exactly where were you standing? Would you describe this slung shot. And finally, what time did this take place? He asked Allen several times if it was possible that he had not seen the event as clearly as he recalled. Allen remained adamant.

Did Abraham Lincoln cut open the leather sack?

Lincoln then produced a witness who claimed he had made the slung shot and described it in detail; Lincoln then cut open the leather sack to show jurors the weapon was exactly as described. That small slug of metal hardly seemed capable of inflicting a fatal blow.

Who was Lincoln in the Supreme Court?

Lincoln made many appearances as a lawyer in front of the Illinois Supreme Court but only one before the United States Supreme Court. In 1849 Lincoln represented Thomas Lewis before the Supreme Court in the case Lewis v Lewis. Lincoln lost the cause and Chief Justice Roger Taney wrote the majority opinion opposing Lincoln.

What is Lincoln's lawyer month?

To honor both Lincoln’s noble profession — July was lawyer month at the Cottage — and our 10-year anniversary, we created a list of Ten Things You Might Not Have Known about Lincoln the Lawyer.

What did Lincoln say to Harrison in a letter?

In a letter, dated November 3, 1859, Lincoln responded to Harrison by encouraging him to vote for Palmer, since “he is good and true, and deserves the best vote we can give him.”. This month, we’re honored to display this original letter, on loan from Jorge Roldan and Family.

What did Lincoln sue for?

2) Lincoln had to sue for a fee. Lincoln worked his most profitable case while representing Illinois Central Railroad i n 1856 who paid him $5,000. McLean County had seized railroad land to sell after refusing to recognize the state’s authority to exempt the company from county taxes.

What was Lincoln's most famous trial?

In 1858, Lincoln successfully defended his client who had been accused of murder in one of his most famous trials, dubbed the Almanac Trial. The key witness’s testimony relied on his explanation that he had seen the murder because of the light from the full moon. Lincoln was able to refute the claim through reference to a farmers almanac that showed there was a new moon the night of the murder, and thus insufficient light by which the witness could have seen the alleged murderer.

Who was the slave owner in 1847?

1) Lincoln represented a slave owner. In October 1847 Robert Matson brought several enslaved people from Kentucky to work on his farm in Illinois, including Jane Bryant and her four children. Also working at the farm was freedman Anthony Bryant, Jane’s husband. When threatened with the children being sold, the Bryants fled Matson’s farm ...

Who wrote the majority opinion opposing Lincoln?

Lincoln lost the cause and Chief Justice Roger Taney wrote the majority opinion opposing Lincoln. Lincoln would cross paths with Taney again in 1861 when Taney administered Lincoln’s presidential oath of office.

What advice did Abraham Lincoln give to the jury?

Lincoln once gave the following advice before his associate gave the opening statement to the jury: "I want you to open the case, and when you are doing it, talk to the jury as though your client's fate depends on every word you utter. Forget that you have any one to fall back upon, and you will do justice to yourself and your client." Recollected Words of Abraham Lincoln compiled and edited by Don E. Fehrenbacher and Virginia Fehrenbacher (Stanford, Stanford University Press, 1996), p. 192.

Who edited the Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln?

The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume IV, "Letter to John M. Brockman" (September 25, 1860), p. 121. "...let every man remember that to violate the law, is to trample on the blood of his father, and to tear the character (charter?) of his own, and his children's liberty.".

Who edited the Lincoln quote?

Several good single volume sources of Lincoln quotes are: (1) Recollected Words of Abraham Lincoln compiled and edited by Don E. Fehrenbacher and Virginia Fehrenbacher. (2) A Treasury of Lincoln Quotations edited by Fred Kerner. (3) Of the People, By the People, For the People and other Quotations from Abraham Lincoln edited by Gabor S. Boritt.

Where was the collection of Abraham Lincoln published?

NOTE: All page references to The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln refer to the 1953 edition published by the Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Overview

Prairie lawyer

In his Springfield practice, Lincoln handled "every kind of business that could come before a prairie lawyer". Twice a year he appeared for 10 consecutive weeks in county seats in the Midstate county courts; this continued for 16 years. Lincoln handled transportation cases in the midst of the nation's western expansion, particularly river barge conflicts under the many new railroad bridges. As a riverboat man, Lincoln initially favored those interests, but ultimately repr…

Family and childhood

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, the second child of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, in a log cabin on Sinking Spring Farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky. He was a descendant of Samuel Lincoln, an Englishman who migrated from Hingham, Norfolk, to its namesake, Hingham, Massachusetts, in 1638. The family then migrated west, passing through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Lincoln's paternal grandparents, his namesake Captain …

Early career and militia service

When Lincoln returned home from the Black Hawk War, he planned to become a blacksmith. He didn't, but he formed a partnership with William Berry, 21, with whom he purchased a general store on credit in New Salem, Illinois. Because a license was required to sell customers single beverages, Berry obtained bartending licenses for $7 each for Lincoln and himself, and in 1833 the store became a tavern as well. As licensed bartenders, Lincoln and Berry were able to sell spirits, including liquor, for 12 cents a pint. They offered a wide range of alcoholic bev…

Illinois state legislature (1834–1842)

Lincoln's second state house campaign in 1834, this time as a Whig, was a success over a powerful Whig opponent. Then followed his four terms in the Illinois House of Representatives for Sangamon County. He championed construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and later was a Canal Commissioner. He voted to expand suffrage beyond white landowners to all white males, but adopted a "free soil" stance opposing both slavery and abolition. In 1837, he declare…

U.S. House of Representatives (1847–1849)

True to his record, Lincoln professed to friends in 1861 to be "an old line Whig, a disciple of Henry Clay". Their party favored economic modernization in banking, tariffs to fund internal improvements including railroads, and urbanization.
In 1843, Lincoln sought the Whig nomination for Illinois' 7th district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives; he was defeated by John J. Hardin though he prevailed with the party in limitin…

Republican politics (1854–1860)

The debate over the status of slavery in the territories failed to alleviate tensions between the slave-holding South and the free North, with the failure of the Compromise of 1850, a legislative package designed to address the issue. In his 1852 eulogy for Clay, Lincoln highlighted the latter's support for gradual emancipation and opposition to "both extremes" on the slavery issue. As the slavery debate in the Nebraska and Kansas territories became particularly acrimonious, Ill…

Presidency (1861–1865)

The South was outraged by Lincoln's election, and in response secessionists implemented plans to leave the Union before he took office in March 1861. On December 20, 1860, South Carolina took the lead by adopting an ordinance of secession; by February 1, 1861, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas followed. Six of these states declared themselves to be a sovereign nation, the Confederate States of America, and adopted a constitution. The upper S…