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Abraham Lincoln, Esq.: The Legal Career of America's Greatest President Kindle Edition

4.1 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

Lincoln scholars explore the president’s law career in this informative volume, examining his legal writings on matters from ethics to the Constitution.

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. In
Abraham Lincoln, Esq., notable historiansexamine Lincoln's law practice and the effect it had on his presidency and the country.

This volume offers new perspectives on Lincoln’s work in Illinois as well as his time in Washington. Each chapter offers an expansive look at Lincoln's legal mind and covers diverse topics such as Lincoln's legal writing, ethics, Constitutional law, and international law.
Abraham Lincoln, Esq. emphasizes this overlooked period in Lincoln's career and sheds light on Lincoln's life before he became America’s sixteenth president.

Editorial Reviews

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., Edward Steers Jr.

"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 of essays evaluates Lincoln's career as a lawyer and how good he was in his practice."―
Oklahoman

"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

"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

"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

"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

"This well-researched book promises to add more perspective to the life of perhaps the most famous person ever born in Kentucky."―
Kentucky Monthly

"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

"Present[s] important studies of Lincoln and . . . worthy of close attention."―
H-Net Review

"
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

"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

"Plumbs the latest research on the least-understood aspect of the career of Abraham Linocln."―
Historian

"[Will] satisfy historians' unquenchable thirst for new knowledge about Lincoln."―
Journal of East Tennessee History

About the Author

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.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0078XFMRI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The University Press of Kentucky (November 1, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 1, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

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4.1 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2016
    The essays in the book are based on the legal papers of Abraham Lincoln which were not available until the year 2000. I found the range of topics covered was extensive. The writers were thoughtful. Some areas were more interesting to me than others. Overall I thought the writing was appropriate for the material. I cam away with a broadened idea of what Lincoln's practice was like and what he did as president. I'm not a lawyer but I am a Lincoln buff and I recommend this book very highly.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2011
    Abraham Lincoln Esq. is as the title suggests, a book about Lincoln as a lawyer.

    It is a great read, interesting stories of his clients, colleagues, and courts at the time.

    Well researched and a veritable garden of great stories well told.

    Evan

    Honolulu, Hawaii
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2017
    I've read several books now about Lincoln's career as a lawyer and have found most of them to be well done and interesting - this group of essays was promising in its concept but uneven in its execution.

    It starts, unfortunately, with two very lackluster essays - one by Holzer, another by co-editor Williams - they are non-historical and hagiographic and add little to nothing in the way of scholarship

    Fortunately, they are followed by two essays by Dirck and Steiner - their books on Lincoln as lawyer are exceptional - these are very good standalone essays, but I would refer you to the books instead

    Co-editor Billings has three very interesting and good essays in the book - of the three, only the essay on "Lincoln as Mortgage Lawyer" falls short - it's just not long enough to fully develop the author's theme

    The Ellis/Ellis essays on Lincoln and legal ethics is too long half, rambling, and not terribly convincing

    Lupton's essay on Lincoln's legal writing is very good

    Schnell's essay on Lincoln's legal connections to Kentucky doesn't add much in the way of new scholarship and is mostly biographical sketches of principals that hailed from Kentucky

    Owens essay on Lincoln and Constitutional law was the outstanding contribution to this collection, in my opinion

    The final essay - by Pederson - on international law did not offer much

    I'm glad to add the book to my growing Lincoln collection, but I'd recommend first Dirck's and Steiner's books or look for the better of the individual essays, where many originally appeared in the legal history journals - Billings, especially
    7 people found this helpful
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