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You’re Out of Order! Dealing with the Costs of Incivility in the Legal Profession
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February 2009 Issue
Cover Story
Abraham Lincoln, Esq.
In the public mind, Abraham Lincoln is best remembered as our 16th president—perhaps the greatest in U.S. history. He steered the nation through the turmoil of the Civil War, issued the Emancipation Proclamation and set the standard for presidential eloquence with the Gettysburg Address.
But before all that, Lincoln was a lawyer.
And not just in name. For a quarter-century—from 1836 until he was inaugurated as president in 1861—practicing law was Lincoln’s primary livelihood. Based in Springfield, Ill., but also “riding circuit” in other parts of the state, Lincoln maintained a busy and diverse practice.
Lincoln was well-liked by colleagues for his direct manner, sense of humor and storytelling abilities, but as the bicentennial of his birth is commemorated in 2009, he may be a more popular—and relevant—figure among lawyers than ever.
Web Extras
A Lincoln Reading List
Feature Section
Copyright in the Age of YouTube
As user-generated sites flourish, copyright law struggles to keep up.
Caperton’s Coal
The battle over an Appalachian mine exposes a nasty vein in bench politics.
Off Track
Taking a year off doesn’t have to mean derailing your career. How getting off the treadmill helped four lawyers inject new meaning into their personal and professional lives.
ABA Connection
Abraham Lincoln, Esq.
In the public mind, Abraham Lincoln is best remembered as our 16th president—perhaps the greatest in U.S. history. He steered the nation through the turmoil of the Civil War, issued the Emancipation Proclamation and set the standard for presidential eloquence with the Gettysburg Address.
But before all that, Lincoln was a lawyer.
And not just in name. For a quarter-century—from 1836 until he was inaugurated as president in 1861—practicing law was Lincoln’s primary livelihood. Based in Springfield, Ill., but also “riding circuit” in other parts of the state, Lincoln maintained a busy and diverse practice.
Lincoln was well-liked by colleagues for his direct manner, sense of humor and storytelling abilities, but as the bicentennial of his birth is commemorated in 2009, he may be a more popular—and relevant—figure among lawyers than ever.
A Docket That Reflects Then And Now
Few lawyers today have a practice as diverse as Abraham Lincoln’s was in the years before the Civil War. But it was a caseload that still should sound familiar to lawyers practicing today.
Eloquence in One Draft
Abraham Lincoln usually went through several drafts when he prepared speeches or wrote letters for publication in newspapers.
The Common Touch at Trial
Much of Abraham Lincoln’s law practice unfolded in the 8th Judicial Circuit in central Illinois.
Training Ground for the Presidency
When Lincoln was elected president in 1860, he had less experience in public office than almost every president who had preceded him. His career in government amounted to eight years in the Illinois General Assembly and another two in the U.S. House of Representatives.
