Editing Spiro Agnew (section)

===Postwar years (1945–1956)===
On return to civilian life, Agnew resumed his legal studies, and secured a job as a [[law clerk]] with the [[Baltimore]] firm of Smith and Barrett. Until that time, Agnew had been largely non-political; his nominal allegiance had been to the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], following his father's beliefs. The firm's senior partner, Lester Barrett, advised Agnew that if he wanted a career in politics, he should become a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]. There were already many ambitious young Democrats in Baltimore and its suburbs, whereas competent, personable Republicans were scarcer. Agnew took Barrett's advice; on moving with family to the suburb of [[Lutherville, Maryland|Lutherville]] in 1947, Agnew registered as a Republican, though he did not immediately become involved in politics.{{sfn|Coffey|2015|p=10}}{{sfn|Witcover|1972|p=44}}
[[File:Towson Courthouse.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A courthouse, seen beyond landscaped grounds|The courthouse at [[Towson]], in Baltimore County, Maryland]]
In 1947, Agnew graduated with a [[Bachelor of Laws]] and passed the [[Bar examination in the United States|bar examination]] in [[Maryland]]. He started a law practice in downtown Baltimore, but was not successful, and took a job as an [[insurance investigator]].{{sfn|Witcover|1972|p=44}} A year later, Agnew moved to Schreiber's, a [[supermarket chain]], where his role was store detective.{{sfn|Cohen|Witcover|1974|pp=17–18}} He remained there for four years, a period briefly interrupted in 1951 by a recall to the Army after the outbreak of the [[Korean War]]. Agnew resigned from Schreiber's in 1952, and resumed his legal practice, specializing in [[labor law]].{{sfn|Witcover|1972|pp=45–48}}

In 1955, Barrett was appointed a judge in [[Towson]], the [[county seat]] of Baltimore. Agnew moved his office there; at the same time, he moved his family from Lutherville to [[Loch Raven, Baltimore|Loch Raven]]. There, he led a typical suburban lifestyle, serving as president of the local school district's [[Parent-Teacher Association]], joining [[Kiwanis]], and participating in a range of social and community activities.{{sfn|Witcover|1972|pp=49–52}} Historian [[William Manchester]] summed up Agnew in those days: "His favorite musician was [[Lawrence Welk]]. His leisure interests were all {{Linktext|midcult}}: watching the [[Baltimore Colts]] on television, listening to [[Mantovani]], and reading the sort of prose the ''[[Reader's Digest]]'' liked to condense. He was a lover of order and an almost compulsive conformist."{{sfn|Manchester|1975|p= 476}}