Abraham Lincoln, Esq. : the legal career of America's greatest president / edited by Roger Billings and Frank J. Williams.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Billings, Roger D.

Williams, Frank J.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865--Career in law.

Lincoln, Abraham.

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.

Lawyers--Illinois--Biography.

Lawyers.

Illinois.

Presidents--United States--Biography.

Presidents.

United States.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

263 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Other Title:

Abraham Lincoln, Esquire

Place of Publication:

Lexington, Ky. : University Press of Kentucky, [2010]

Summary:

As our nation's most beloved and recognizable president, Abraham Lincoln is best known for the Emancipation Proclamation and for guiding our country through the Civil War. But before he took the oath of office, Lincoln practiced law for nearly twenty-five years in the Illinois courts. Abraham Lincoln, Esq. examines Lincoln's law practice and the effect it had on his presidency and the country. The volume explores Lincoln's experience with property law and debtor-creditor issues, ethical dilemmas and how he dealt with them, and Lincoln's approach to constitutional and international law problems during his presidential career, among other topics. Each chapter offers an exacting look at Lincoln's legal mind and suggests ways in which contemporary lawyers may learn from Lincoln's deliberations and decisions. Abraham Lincoln, Esq. examines an often-overlooked period in Lincoln's career and sheds light on the experiences that influenced our sixteenth president's actions and policy decisions. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part 1 Evaluating Lincoln's Career

Reassessing Lincoln's Legal Career / Harold Holzer Holzer, Harold 5

Lincoln's Lessons for Lawyers / Frank J. Williams Williams, Frank J. 19

Does Lawyer Lincoln Matter? / Mark E. Steiner Steiner, Mark E. 45

A. Lincoln, Respectable "Prairie Lawyer" / Brian Dirck Dirck, Brian 65

Part 2 The Illinois Years

A. Lincoln, Debtor-Creditor Lawyer / Roger Billings Billings, Roger 81

Lincoln and Illinois Real Estate: The Making of a Mortgage Lawyer / Roger Billings Billings, Roger 105

The Power of Lincoln's Legal Words / John A. Lupton Lupton, John A. 119

Competence, Diligence, and Getting Paid: Lincoln's Lessons for Today's Ethical Lawyer / William T. Ellis Ellis, William T., Billie J. Ellis Ellis, Billie J. 133

Lincoln's Legal Ethics: The Client Correspondence / Roger Billings Billings, Roger 171

Lincoln and the Kentuckians: Placing Lincoln in Context with Lawyers and Clients from His Native State / Christopher A. Schnell Schnell, Christopher A. 185

Part 3 The Washington Years

Abraham Lincoln as Practical Constitutional Lawyer / Mackubin Thomas Owens Owens, Mackubin Thomas 205

President Lincoln: The International Lawyer / William D. Pederson Pederson, William D. 229.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780813126081

0813126088

9780813126098

0813126096

OCLC:

639159457