 After a brief return to Charleston , Benjamin moved to New Orleans , Louisiana . According to Rabbi Bernard W. Korn 's volume on that city 's Jews , he " arrived in New Orleans in 1828 , with no visible assets other than the wit , charm , omnivorous mind and boundless energy with which he would find his place in the sun " . After working in a mercantile business , he became a clerk for a law firm , where he began to read law , studying as an apprentice . Knowledge of French was important in practicing law in Louisiana , as the state 's code is and was based on French and Spanish law . To earn money , he tutored French Creoles in English ; he taught the language to Natalie <unk> de St. Martin on the condition that she teach him French . In late 1832 , at age 21 , he was admitted to the bar . 
