This first detailed, annotated bibliography of items relating to Abraham Lincoln’s career as a lawyer lists over five hundred listings of monographs, books, significant portions of books, and pamphlets that emphasize Lincoln’s quarter century (1837–1861) as a practicing Illinois attorney.



Elizabeth W. Matthews supplies summary annotations on the "professional lawyer" aspect of each item and notes other editions, indicating microform availability, particularly for out-of-print items. Monaghan numbers from the Illinois State Historical Library’s general Lincoln Bibliography, 1839–1939 are also provided.



Information ranges from autobiographical material and reminiscences by Lincoln’s colleagues to scholarly research. There are articles by lawyers, historians, other specialists, and interested lay writers. Many of these items are rare and little known.