Editing Joe Biden (section)

=== Law practices ===
[[File:Joe Biden in 1968 Edition of Onondagan Yearbook.jpg|thumb|upright|Biden in the Syracuse 1968 yearbook|left]]

In 1969, Biden practiced law, first as a [[public defender]] and then at a law firm headed by a locally active Democrat,<ref name="cby-43">''Current Biography Yearbook 1987'', p. 43.</ref><ref name="dmn-87" /> who named him to the Democratic Forum, a group trying to reform and revitalize the state party;{{sfn|Witcover|2010|p=86}} Biden subsequently reregistered as a Democrat.<ref name="dmn-87" /> He and another attorney also formed a law firm.<ref name="cby-43" /> [[Corporate law]] did not appeal to him, and [[criminal law]] did not pay well.<ref name="nyt-father" /> He supplemented his income by managing properties.<ref name="watn020109">{{Cite magazine |last=Palmer |first=Nancy Doyle |date=February 1, 2009 |title=Joe Biden: 'Everyone Calls Me Joe' |magazine=[[Washingtonian (magazine)|Washingtonian]] |url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2009/02/01/joe-biden-everyone-calls-me-joe/ |access-date=February 4, 2009 |archive-date=July 31, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731071850/https://www.washingtonian.com/2009/02/01/joe-biden-everyone-calls-me-joe/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Biden ran for the fourth district seat on the [[New Castle County Council]] in 1970 on a liberal platform that included support for public housing in the suburbs.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|p=59}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harriman |first=Jane |date=December 31, 1969 |title=Joe Biden: Hope for Democratic Party in '72? |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/8326887/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241009054235/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal/8326887/ |archive-date=October 9, 2024 |access-date=October 9, 2024 |newspaper=The News Journal |page=3 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Biden won the general election, defeating Republican Lawrence T. Messick, and took office on January 5, 1971.<ref>{{cite news |date=January 2, 1971 |title=County Council to Take Oath |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67554678/council-oath/ |newspaper=[[The News Journal]] |page=4 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=January 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115185436/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67554678/council-oath/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=January 6, 1971 |title=Conner Calls Shake of 7 Lucky Omen for Council |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67567899/lucky-omen/ |work=[[The News Journal]] |location=Wilmington, DE |page=3 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=January 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115185426/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67567899/lucky-omen/ |url-status=live}}</ref> He served until January 1, 1973.<ref>{{cite news |last=Frump |first=Bob |date=November 8, 1972 |title=GOP Decade Ends with Slawik Win |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67555456/gop-decade/ |work=[[The News Journal]] |location=Wilmington, DE |page=3 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-date=January 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115185431/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67555456/gop-decade/ |url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=52–64}} During his time on the county council, Biden opposed large highway projects, which he argued might disrupt Wilmington neighborhoods.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=52–64}}

Biden had not openly supported or opposed the [[Vietnam War]] until he ran for Senate and opposed Richard Nixon's conduct of the war.{{sfn|Witcover|2010|pp=50, 75}} While studying at the University of Delaware and Syracuse University, Biden obtained five student [[conscription|draft]] deferments. Based on a physical examination, he was given a conditional medical deferment in 1968; in 2008, a spokesperson for Biden said his having had "[[asthma]] as a teenager" was the reason.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Caldera |first1=Camille |title=Fact check: Biden, like Trump, received multiple draft deferments from Vietnam |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/09/16/fact-check-biden-received-multiple-draft-deferments-vietnam/5809482002/ |access-date=April 3, 2021 |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=September 16, 2020 |archive-date=June 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630191208/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/09/16/fact-check-biden-received-multiple-draft-deferments-vietnam/5809482002/ |url-status=live}}</ref>