Page "Joseph Franklin Rutherford" Paragraph 5

Rutherford spent two years as a judge's intern, became an official court reporter at age 20, and was admitted to the Missouri bar in May 1892 at age 22.

He became a trial lawyer for a law firm and later served for four years in Boonville as a public prosecutor.

He campaigned briefly for Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan.

He was appointed as a Special Judge in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri, sitting as a substitute judge at least once when a regular judge was unable to hold court.

As a result of this appointment he became known by the sobriquet " Judge " Rutherford.

He was admitted to the New York bar in 1909 and admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States the same year.