THE HOW-TO GUIDE TO LAWYERING LIKE LINCOLN “LESSONS, TIPS, AND TALES ON PRACTICING LAW AND HANGING OUT A SHINGLE”

By Michael J. Dunn Abraham Lincoln was a successful lawyer for 25 years prior to his political career. Although he never went to law school, he studied under an established lawyer as an apprentice until he obtained his certificate of good moral character. Lincoln’s lack of schooling, however, was not an impediment. He had a great respect for the law, a keen client-centered business sense and a gift for storyteller. In short, he was a world-class solutionist who was a true believer in his clients and their causes. His simple approach to problem solving included a combination of diligence, organization, and attention to detail. Lincoln was a street-lawyer. One day he would represent a criminal defendant and the next he would represent a landowner or the Illinois Central railroad. He did it all and he did it small. Lincoln spent his entire legal career with only one law partner at a time. In recent years, it is indisputable that the practice of law has undergone dramatic changes. The most