Editing Morrison Waite (section)

==Political and legal career==
In 1850, Waite and his family moved to [[Toledo, Ohio]], where he set up a branch office of his law firm with Young. Waite soon came to be recognized as a leader of the state bar. When Young retired in 1856, Waite built a prosperous new firm with his brother Richard Waite.<ref name=":0" /> One of his partners in Toledo was [[George P. Estey]], a man from New Hampshire who served as a [[Union Army]] general during the [[American Civil War]].

An active member of the [[United States Whig Party|Whig Party]], Waite was elected to a term in the [[Ohio House of Representatives]] in 1849–1850. He made two unsuccessful bids for the [[United States Senate]], and was offered (but declined) a seat on the [[Ohio Supreme Court]]. In the mid-1850s, because of his opposition to [[slavery]], Waite joined the fledgling [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] and helped to organize it in his home state. By 1870, he was known as one of the best lawyers in Ohio.<ref name=":1">{{Harvnb|Kens|Johnson|2012}} p.18</ref>

In 1871, Waite received an invitation to represent the United States (along with [[William M. Evarts]] and [[Caleb Cushing]]) as counsel before the [[Alabama Claims|Alabama Tribunal]] at [[Geneva]]. In his first national role, he gained acclaim when he won a $15 million award from the tribunal.<ref name=":1" /> In 1872, he was unanimously selected to preside over the [[Constitution of Ohio#1873 constitutional convention|1873 Ohio constitutional convention]].<ref name=":2" />