Logan & Lincoln

City: Springfield

County: Sangamon

State: Illinois

In the spring of 1841, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen T. Logan began practicing law together, and Logan introduced Lincoln to new areas of law. After Springfield officially became the Illinois state capital in 1839, the federal court and the Illinois Supreme Court, both of which had met in Vandalia, moved to Springfield. In response to the Panic of 1837, the United States Congress passed the Bankruptcy Act in 1841 granting relief to debtors, the first such federal legislation in nearly forty years. Logan and Lincoln handled many bankruptcy cases before the federal court during the brief time that the act was in effect. During his partnership with Logan, Lincoln increased his caseload before the Illinois Supreme Court and handled appeals from all areas of the state. Logan stopped circuit traveling when Lincoln became his partner. Logan remained in Springfield, while Lincoln traveled the Eighth Judicial Circuit. Logan and Lincoln first had a law office on the opposite side of Fifth Street from Hoffman's Row. In August 1843, they moved to the Tinsley building, which was located on the southeast corner of the public square across Adams Street from the statehouse. The Tinsley building also housed the local post office and the federal courtroom. Logan heightened Lincoln's awareness of legal fees, and they sued several delinquent clients. Logan and Lincoln dissolved their partnership in December 1844. Logan wanted to practice law with his son David, and Lincoln wanted to begin his own law firm, which he did with William H. Herndon, a young law clerk in the Logan and Lincoln law office.

"The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: A Narrative Overview," Martha L. Benner and Cullom Davis et al., eds., The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln: Complete Documentary Edition, 2d edition (Springfield: Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 2009), http://www.lawpracticeofabrahamlincoln.org/Reference.aspx?ref=Reference html files/NarrativeOverview.html.