Abraham Lincoln has been considered by some to be the greatest President America has had to date. Yes, he was great, but he was a lawyer after all. I still think that George Washington was the greatest overall. But I still love stories about honest Abe. Including this one:

“All of his clients knew that, with honest Abe as their lawyer, they would win their case—if it was fair; if not, that was a waste of time to take it to him. After listening one day to a would-be client’s statement, with eyes on the ceiling, Abe swung around in his chair and exclaimed:

“’Well, you have a pretty good case in technical law, but a pretty bad one in equity and justice [who considers those principles today?] You’ll have to get some other fellow to win this case for you. I couldn’t do it. All the time while standing talking to the jury, I’d be thinking, ‘Lincoln, you’re a liar,’ and I believe I should forget myself and say it out loud!’” (as quoted in Stories, Quotations, and Anecdotes, by Judge Jacob M. Braude1957.)