Join Our Discussion of "David Davis - Lincoln's Favorite Judge"

Judge David Davis was one of Abraham Lincoln’s closest political associates. Lincoln was a circuit court lawyer for about 21 years, from 1839 until he was elected president in 1860. During this time, he traveled the Eighth Judicial Circuit in Illinois twice a year to hold court in various county seats. The presiding judge for most of that time was David Davis. They became close friends as they shared meals and accommodations on their circuit travels. It was Davis who masterminded the upstart Illinoisan’s improbable victory at the 1860 Republican presidential nominating convention in Chicago. Lincoln later appointed him to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

David Davis – Abraham Lincoln’s Favorite Judge is the title of a new biography by Raymond J. McKoski, that details the crucial contributions that Judge Davis made to both the judicial and executive branches of government that have long been understudied and undervalued. McKoski…