Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Nick Pappas
(2005).
The story of Lincoln borrowing a neighbors book is
well known. Lincoln would read the book by candle
light in the loft of his log home. He stored the book
between two logs in the wall, so he could retrieve
it in the morning. On one occasion, the book he
stored between the logs was badly damaged during
a hard rain. Lincoln returned the book to the owner
and explained what happened. The owner calculated
the value at two full days work pulling corn. Even
though Lincoln considered the reimbursement unfair,
he worked the two days until there was not a corn
blade left on a stalk. - Doris K. Goodwin, Team of
Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln 120
(2005).
As practicing lawyers, we all know the importance
of reading the law. Yet sometimes the demands
of the modern practice of law billing pressures,
administrative
responsibilities,
client
reporting
requirements can make it difficult to keep up
with advance sheets, articles, and even legal blogs.
Lincolns 19th century advice is still on point today
lawyers must continue to read the law.
Use Simple Metaphors and Arguments
Whether he was debating the slavery issue or
presenting his clients case to an Illinois jury, Lincoln
knew the importance of presenting clear, simple
arguments. Lincoln once told his partner William
Herndon, Billy, dont shoot too high aim lower and
the common people will understand you. - Mark
E. Steiner, An Honest Calling: The Law Practice of
Abraham Lincoln, 9 (2009)(citing The Hidden Lincoln:
From the Letters and Papers of William H. Herndon
427-428 (Emanuel Hertz ed., 1940); William H.
Herndon, Herndons Lincoln 270-71, 263 (2009)).
Lincoln also used metaphors that made sense to
common people. Shortly before he was nominated
for President by the Republican Party, Lincoln gave
a series of speeches in the eastern United States.
Lincoln used the following metaphor to illustrate his
distinction between accepting slavery where it already
existed, while preventing its spread:
If I saw a venomous snake crawling in the
road, any man would say I might seize the
nearest stick and kill it; but if I found that
snake in bed with my children, that would be
another question. I might hurt the children
more than the snake, and it might bite
them . But if there was a bed newly made
com/index_indiv0000222.htm
Statue of Lincoln at the Washington National Cathedral
http://www.nationalcathedral.org/
The National Museum of Health and Medicine currently
has an exhibit on the death of Lincoln, including the
bullet the killed him http://www.medicalmuseum.mil/
index.cfm?p=exhibits.lincoln.index
There is an exhibit on The Emancipation Proclamation at
the American History Museum (Lincolns top hat is part
of the exhibition) http://www.si.edu/Exhibitions/Details/
Changing-America-The-Emancipation-Proclamation1863-and-the-March-on-Washington-1963-4889
There is an art exhibition called Americas Presidents,
at the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery http://www.si.edu/
Exhibitions/Details/Americas-Presidents-262
Lincoln-related stamp collections at the Postal Museum
http://www.si.edu/Exhibitions/Details/HonoringLincoln- Abraham-Lincoln-Certified-Plate-Proofs-682
Fords Theatre http://www.fordstheatre.org/
In addition, if you ever near Central Illinois, I strongly
encourage you to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Library and Museum http://www.alplm.org/ and
Lincolns tomb http://www.illinoishistory.gov/hs/lincoln_
tomb.htm in Springfield, Illinois.