Thomas Dent (lawyer)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Ijams Dent was a prominent Chicago
lawyer
.
. Thomas Dent was educated at public schools in Illinois
and Ohio
, and then, at age 15, became permanently employed as his father's assistant.
After studying law on his own, Dent was admitted to the bar in 1854, at which time he established a law practice in Hennepin, Illinois
. He moved to Chicago
in 1856, forming a legal partnership with Martin R. M. Wallace. Dent married Susan Strawn in 1857. Also in 1857, he moved to Peoria, Illinois
, but was back in Chicago the next year, and in 1860 formed a partnership (Arrington & Dent) with Judge A. W. Arrington that would last until Arrington's death in 1867. At that point Dent joined forces with William P. Black
to establish a new law firm, Dent & Black. Dent had a successful practice with many corporate clients, including banks, insurance companies, a railroad company, and the Chicago Board of Trade
. Dent argued several cases to the Supreme Court of the United States
.
In 1879, Dent ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Supreme Court of Illinois
on the Republican
ticket.
Dent served as president of the Chicago Law Institute, the Chicago Bar Association
, and then, in 1888, as president of the Illinois State Bar Association
.
An elder of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
, Dent served as a director of the McCormick Theological Seminary
for nearly 4 decades.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
.
Biography
Thomas Dent was born in Putnam County, Illinois on November 14, 1831, the son of George Dent and Comfort (Ijams) Dent. George Dent held a number of elective offices in Putnam County, including clerk of the circuit and county courts, county judge, and member of the Illinois General AssemblyIllinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois and comprises the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Illinois has 59 legislative districts, with two...
. Thomas Dent was educated at public schools in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, and then, at age 15, became permanently employed as his father's assistant.
After studying law on his own, Dent was admitted to the bar in 1854, at which time he established a law practice in Hennepin, Illinois
Hennepin, Illinois
Hennepin is a village on the Illinois River in Putnam County, Illinois, United States. The population was 707 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Putnam County.Hennepin is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. He moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1856, forming a legal partnership with Martin R. M. Wallace. Dent married Susan Strawn in 1857. Also in 1857, he moved to Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, but was back in Chicago the next year, and in 1860 formed a partnership (Arrington & Dent) with Judge A. W. Arrington that would last until Arrington's death in 1867. At that point Dent joined forces with William P. Black
William P. Black
William Perkins Black was a lawyer and veteran of the American Civil War. He received America's highest military decoration - the Medal of Honor - for his actions at the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in 1862.-Biography:...
to establish a new law firm, Dent & Black. Dent had a successful practice with many corporate clients, including banks, insurance companies, a railroad company, and the Chicago Board of Trade
Chicago Board of Trade
The Chicago Board of Trade , established in 1848, is the world's oldest futures and options exchange. More than 50 different options and futures contracts are traded by over 3,600 CBOT members through open outcry and eTrading. Volumes at the exchange in 2003 were a record breaking 454 million...
. Dent argued several cases to the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
.
In 1879, Dent ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Supreme Court of Illinois
Supreme Court of Illinois
The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the five appellate judicial districts of the state: Three justices from the First District and...
on the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
ticket.
Dent served as president of the Chicago Law Institute, the Chicago Bar Association
Chicago Bar Association
Founded in 1874, the Chicago Bar Association is a voluntary bar association with over 20,000 members. Like other bar associations, it concerns itself with professional ethics, networking among members, and continuing legal education. It is located adjacent to the John Marshall Law School in the...
, and then, in 1888, as president of the Illinois State Bar Association
Illinois State Bar Association
The Illinois State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the country. Approximately 30,000 lawyers are members of the ISBA. Unlike some state bar associations, in which membership is mandatory, ISBA membership is not required of lawyers licensed to practice in...
.
An elder of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was a Presbyterian denomination in the United States. It was organized in 1789 under the leadership of John Witherspoon in the wake of the American Revolution and existed until 1958 when it merged with the United Presbyterian Church of North...
, Dent served as a director of the McCormick Theological Seminary
McCormick Theological Seminary
McCormick Theological Seminary is one of eleven schools of theology of the Presbyterian Church . It shares a campus with the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, bordering the campus of the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois...
for nearly 4 decades.