Rather than studying in the office of an established attorney, as was the custom, Lincoln borrowed legal texts from attorneys John Todd Stuart and Thomas Drummond, purchased books including Blackstone's Commentaries and Chitty's Pleadings, and read law on his own.
ɹˈæðɚ ðɐn stˈʌdiɪŋ ɪnðɪ ˈɑːfɪs əvən ɪstˈæblɪʃt ɐtˈɜːni, æz wʌzðə kˈʌstəm, lˈɪŋkən bˈɑːɹoʊd lˈiːɡəl tˈɛksts fɹʌm ɐtˈɜːniz dʒˈɑːn tˈɑːd stˈuːɚt ænd tˈɑːməs dɹˈʌmənd, pˈɜːtʃɪst bˈʊks ɪŋklˈuːdɪŋ blˈækstoʊnz kˈɑːməntˌɛɹiz ænd tʃˈɪɾiz plˈiːdɪŋz, ænd ɹˈiːd lˈɔː ˌɔn hɪz ˈoʊn.