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Lincoln's Law Office in Springfield

At this desk in Springfield Abraham Lincoln practiced law. Lincoln's legal career began shortly after he first joined the Illinois State Legislature in 1834. Seeing the preponderance of lawyers present in the body, Lincoln judged himself equal to the task of reading law and become an attorney. He began his legal work as the junior partner of the Springfield barrister John Todd Stuart in 1837. Four years later, after Stuart had left Springfield for a term in Congress, Lincoln joined the practice of Stephen T. Logan. In 1844 Lincoln and Logan dissolved this partnership, and Lincoln became senior partner in a new firm, retaining William H. Herndon as junior partner. It was to this partnership that Lincoln returned after his single term in Congress, and from this position he rejoined the political debate amidst the controversy over Stephen Douglas' proposed Kansas-Nebraska Act.