Why I’m A Trial Lawyer (No. 4)

Abraham Lincoln’s notes for a law lecture (discussed in the previous post here) are the subject of a ‘Professionalism Movement’ in the legal profession: the idea is that real change toward a better (more ethical) practice is caused not by changes to Model Rules but by freely acting agents – lawyers who voluntarily aspire for […]

Why I’m A Trial Lawyer (No. 3)

  Early in his career, lawyer Abraham Lincoln was a voracious reader of everything from poetry to newspapers. In 1837, his attention was fixed on a wave of violence and economic turmoil sweeping the country. He was convinced that America’s Founding principles demanded a  renewed focus on respect for laws and a conscious turning away […]

Why I’m A Trial Lawyer (No. 1)

“I am not an accomplished lawyer” Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln was a famously small town lawyer. For the bulk of his career, he practiced solo with the help of a junior lawyer named Herndon – who functioned more as a paralegal – doing office organizing and paperwork. Lincoln was a circuit rider, traveling around the […]