Overview

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.: The Legal Career of America's Greatest President examines Lincoln's law practice and the effect it had on his presidency and the country. Editors Roger Billings and Frank J. Williams, along with a notable list of contributors, examine Lincoln's career as a general-practice attorney, looking both at his work in Illinois and at the time he spent in Washington. Each chapter offers an expansive look at Lincoln's legal mind and covers diverse topics such as Lincoln's legal writing, ethics, the Constitution, and international law. Abraham Lincoln, Esq. emphasizes this often overlooked period in Lincoln's career and sheds light on Lincoln's life before he became our sixteenth president.

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9780813136530

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Reviews

<p> a testament to the enduring relevance of Lincoln to modern America and the world. This particular edited volume is the result of an incredible amount of archival digging. -- Ohio Valley History --

Plumbs the latest research on the least-understood aspect of the career of Abraham Linocln. -- Historian Abraham Lincoln, Esq. is a worthy addition to the bookshelf of anyone seeking to learn more about the law career of our sixteenth president. -- Register of the Kentucky Historical Society Present[s] important studies of Lincoln and... worthy of close attention. -- H-Net Review This well-researched book promises to add more perspective to the life of perhaps the most famous person ever born in Kentucky. -- Kentucky Monthly President Lincoln displayed a moral and intellectual integrity by his courageous opposition to the extension of slavery and to the Dred Scott ruling by the US Supreme Court. -- Christian News Abraham Lincoln, Esq. is extremely well-researched and informative. If you are looking for insights into Lincoln's legal career, this short book provides a wealth of information -- Wisconsin Lawyer [Will] satisfy historians' unquenchable thirst for new knowledge about Lincoln. -- Journal of East Tennessee History Presents to us a different side of Lincoln than we normally see and how this side helped him grow into the man he was when he became president -- Book Bargains and Previews a testament to the enduring relevance of Lincoln to modern America and the world. This particular edited volume is the result of an incredible amount of archival digging. -- Ohio Valley History Abraham Lincoln, Esq. is a fine addition to the literature on Lincoln as a lawyer, and its bibliographical references will be valuable for future study. -- Federal Lawyer Useful and important for a wide audience--including Lincoln scholars, legal and constitutional historians, Civil War specialists, and general readers fascinated by Lincoln -- Law and Politics Book Review This collection of essays evaluates Lincoln's career as a lawyer and how good he was in his practice. -- Oklahoman Roger Billings and Frank Williams, and their contributors eloquently and thoroughly explored the nuances of Lincoln's journey to national prominence, delving into history to present a multifaceted account of the experiences and lessons that define his stance on ethics, policy, and democracy. -- Lone Star Review This collection cuts across nearly every aspect of law as experienced by Lincoln. No stone is left unturned whether dealing with the most mundane aspects of metes and bounds or the highly specialized laws of war. It contributes to an area of Lincoln studies that has been underserved by Lincoln scholars. -- Edward Steers Jr., author of Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Author Information

Roger Billings is a professor at Northern Kentucky University's Salmon P. Chase College of Law. His articles have appeared in such publications as the ABA Journal, and Journal of Illinois History. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Frank J. Williams is a retired Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, founding Chair of The Lincoln Forum and Chair of the Rhode Island Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration Commission. He also served as Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Military Commission review to hear appeals from those detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.He is the author of Judging Lincoln and the coeditor of Lincoln Lessons: Reflections on America's Greatest Leader. He lives in Hope Valley, Rhode Island.

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