<article_title>Abraham_Lincoln</article_title>
<edit_user>Carmarg4</edit_user>
<edit_time>Tuesday, April 5, 2011 9:14:06 PM CEST</edit_time>
<edit_comment>/* Early career and military service */ add Donald cite re Supreme Ct. Clerk's roll</edit_comment>
<edit_text>Lincoln served as New Salem's postmaster and, after more dedicated self-study, as county surveyor.&lt;ref&gt;Donald (1996), pp. 50–51.&lt;/ref&gt; In 1834, he won election to the state legislature after a bipartisan campaign, though he ran as a Whig.&lt;ref&gt;White, p. 59.&lt;/ref&gt; He then decided to become a lawyer and began teaching himself law by reading Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England and other law books. Of his learning method, Lincoln stated: &quot;I studied with nobody.&quot;&lt;ref&gt;Donald (1996), pp. 53–55.&lt;/ref&gt; Admitted to the bar in 1836,&lt;ref&gt;https://www.iardc.org/lawyersearch.asp, Search of bar admissions records.&lt;/ref&gt;<strong>&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt; AL was added to roll of attorneys by the Clerk, Illinois Supreme Court on March 1, 1837[[#Donald|Donald (1996)]], p.64.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;</strong> he moved to Springfield, Illinois and began to practice law under John T. Stuart, Mary Todd's cousin.&lt;ref&gt;White, pp. 71, 79, 108.&lt;/ref&gt; Lincoln became an able and successful lawyer with a reputation as a formidable adversary during cross-examinations and closing arguments. In 1841, he partnered with Stephen Logan until 1844, when he began his practice with William Herndon, whom Lincoln thought &quot;a studious young man.&quot;&lt;ref&gt;Donald (1996), pp. 67–69, 100–101.&lt;/ref&gt; He served four successive terms in the Illinois House of Representatives as a Whig representative from Sangamon County.&lt;ref&gt;Donald (1996), pp. 67–69, 75, 121.&lt;/ref&gt;</edit_text>
<turn_user>Carmarg4<turn_user>
<turn_time>Tuesday, April 5, 2011 9:19:19 PM CEST</turn_time>
<turn_topicname>Year of admission to the bar - 1836 or 1837?</turn_topicname>
<turn_topictext>The records of the Illinois Supreme Court's Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, which keeps the master rolls of all attorneys past and present who have been admitted to the bar in Illinois, indicate that Lincoln was admitted on September 9, 1836. See: https://www.iardc.org/ldetail.asp?id=252533794 The current version of the article lists 1837 as the year Lincoln was admitted to the bar. The citation for the clause, "Admitted to the bar in 1837, he moved to Springfield, Illinois" is given as "Lincoln (1992), p.17" and there is no full citation that expands on this abbreviated citation. Can anyone verify what text the citation "Lincoln (1992), p.17" refers to, and whether this reference supports the contention that Lincoln was admitted to the bar in 1837? Moreover, unless there is reason to doubt the accuracy of the official state records indicating the actual year was 1836, I propose that we at least consider the weight of the evidence provided by the state records, and revise the article accordingly (or add additional text describing the conflicting historical evidence about the year of his admission to the bar). Nizamarain 13:43, 21 March 2011 (UTC) autosigned— Preceding unsigned comment added by Nizamarain (talk • contribs) I can't find the reference either; I would be fine with changing it on the basis of the reference you found. carl bunderson (talk) (contributions) 03:42, 23 March 2011 (UTC) I will go ahead and make the change, removing the old citation and citing the iardc.org reference. Nizamarain 14:53, 23 March 2011 (UTC) autosigned— Preceding unsigned comment added by Nizamarain (talk • contribs) I think I found the source of the confusion. Donald indicates 2 justices of the Illinois Supreme Ct. licensed AL to practice in Sept. of 1836, but the Supreme Ct. Clerk did not enroll him until March 1, 1837. I added a footnote to this effect.Carmarg4 (talk) 21:19, 5 April 2011 (UTC)</turn_topictext>
<turn_text>I will go ahead and make the change, removing the old citation and citing the iardc.org reference. Nizamarain </turn_text>