LINCOLN’S WRITING IN HIS LAW PRACTICE:

INSIGHTS FROM HIS NEWLY DISCOVERED LEGAL PAPERS

When:	Thursday, January 3, 2008; 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
What:	Panel discussion on Abraham Lincoln as a legal writer
Where:	House of the Association, 42 West 44th Street, between 5th & 6th Avenues

When Lincoln’s mastery of language is discussed, little attention is paid to his legal–writing skills. Now, thanks to publication of The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln, with thousands of newly discovered documents, it’s possible to evaluate his legal writing.

This symposium will consider the role of language in the legal career of the sixteenth president. Historians and lawyers will consider whether Lincoln had superior legal–drafting skills or merely those of the average lawyer of his day. The panelists will also examine his correspondence with clients to see how skillfully he handled their concerns.

Moderator:

• Harold Holzer, Co–Chair,U.S. Lincoln Bicentennial Commission

Speakers:

• John Lupton, Associate Director, The Papers of Abraham Lincoln
• Professor Roger Billings, Chase College of Law, Northern Kentucky University
• Professor Mark E. Steiner, South Texas College of Law, and author of An Honest Calling: The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln

This program is sponsored by the Legal History Committee of the New York City Bar Association, Thomas M. Ross, Chair; and Scribes — The American Society of Legal Writers.

About the Association
The New York City Bar Association (www.nycbar.org) was founded in 1870, and since then has been dedicated to maintaining the high ethical standards of the profession, promoting reform of the law, and providing service to the profession and the public. The Association continues to work for political, legal and social reform, while implementing innovative means to help the disadvantaged. Protecting the public’s welfare remains one of the Association’s highest priorities.