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,...

There are thousands of books currently in print about Abraham Lincoln, his life, and his presidency, but only a handful of them focus on Lincoln's pre-presidential career: law. Lincoln practiced law for nearly twenty-five years in the Illinois courts. Other than part-time service in the Illinois legislature and the United States Congress, law was his full-time occupation. He handled cases in almost all court levels: justice of the peace, county, circuit, appellate, and federal. Like many of his colleagues at the bar, Lincoln was a general practice attorney and represented clients in a variety...