How have the legal careers of twenty-five American presidents shaped their presidencies? Of America's forty-three presidents, twenty-five have been lawyers. John Adams, the first lawyer-president, combined a twenty-year law practice with significant contributions to our nation's founding charters. His son, John Quincy Adams, argued landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases both before and after his presidency. He was one of eight lawyer-presidents to appear as counsel before the highest court in the land. America's most beloved and admired president, Abraham Lincoln, was involved in more than 5,100 cases during his 25-year legal career, while Rutherford Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, and other lawyer-presidents gained fame handling sensational murder trials and equally high profile cases. These are but a few of the fascinating stories about the legal careers of America's lawyer-presidents. Yet, these stories have largely been untold - until now. America's Lawyer-Presidents sheds light on the legal backgrounds of each of these chief executives and how their experiences as lawyers impacted and shaped their presidencies. Written by historians and presidential scholars and featuring an engaging and image-rich presentation, America's Lawyer-Presidents provides new insights into our national leaders and their lives and times, from colonial days to the present.

Foreword by: Sandra Day O'Connor
Preface by: James R. Silkenat, Robert A. Stein