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Cunningham privately studied law and in 1868 was admitted to the bar. During [[Reconstruction]], he was the chairman of the Natchitoches Parish Democratic Executive Committee. He served for ten months in 1868 as the district attorney of the 17th Judicial District. Thereafter, he was elected chief of police in Natchitoches, in which capacity he worked successfully to restore white rule in the community. He was one of fifty-two former [[Confederate States of America|Confederates]] or Confederate sympathizers who were arrested and tried by federal officials during Reconstruction.<ref name=mjc/> ​

Cunningham privately studied law and in 1868 was admitted to the bar. During [[Reconstruction]], he was the chairman of the Natchitoches Parish Democratic Executive Committee. He served for ten months in 1868 as the district attorney of the 17th Judicial District. Thereafter, he was elected chief of police in Natchitoches, in which capacity he worked successfully to restore white rule in the community. He was one of fifty-two former [[Confederate States of America|Confederates]] or Confederate sympathizers who were arrested and tried by federal officials during Reconstruction.<ref name=mjc/> ​

Cunningham's political career soared in 1878, when he briefly became a state representative, a delegate to the 1879 state constitutional convention, and then for a single four-year term a state senator. He was elected attorney general in 1884 in the administration of [[Governor]] Samuel Douglas McEnery (1837-1910). After a four-year hiatus, he returned as attorney general under Governor [urphy James Foster, Sr. (1849-1921), the grandfather of the last 20th century anthe  first 21st century governor, Democrat-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Mike Foster|Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr.]] In 1896, Cunningham prepared the legal brief of ''[[Plessy v. Ferguson]].'' In the specific case, Homer Adolph Plessy (1862-1925) of New Orleans, seven-eights white and one-eighth black, was criminally fined for riding in the white-only car on a train from New Orleans to Covington in St. Tammany Parish. The [[United States Supreme Court]] upheld by a seven-to-one margin the principle of "separate but equal" in public accommodations,<ref name=mjc/> a decision which stood for fifty-eight years until 1954, when ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' school struck down as unconstitutional [[Segregation|segregated]] public schools] ​

Cunningham's political career soared in 1878, when he briefly became a state representative, a delegate to the 1879 state constitutional convention, and then for a single four-year term a state senator. He was elected attorney general in 1884 in the administration of [[Governor]] Samuel Douglas McEnery (1837-1910). After a four-year hiatus, he returned as attorney general under Governor [urphy James Foster, Sr. (1849-1921), the grandfather of the last 20th century anthe  first 21st century governor, Democrat-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Mike Foster|Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr.]] In 1896, Cunningham prepared the legal brief of ''[[Plessy v. Ferguson]].'' In the specific case, Homer Adolph Plessy (1862-1925) of New Orleans, seven-eights white and one-eighth black, was criminally fined for riding in the white-only car on a train from New Orleans to Covington in St. Tammany Parish. The [[United States Supreme Court]] upheld by a seven-to-one margin the principle of "separate but equal" in public accommodations,<ref name=mjc/> a decision which stood for fifty-eight years until 1954, when ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' school struck down as unconstitutional [[Segregation|segregated]] public schools.

 

As attorney general, Cunningham rarely employed outside counsel and handled even complicated cases himself. In the process he saved taxpayers a considerable amount of money. In the 1890s, as attorney general, he worked successfully against the [[lottery]] companies. When the state was sued regarding a contract for work on the Red River, Cunningham defended the state against nine leading lawyers from New Orleans. He proved that the contract was illegal and had not been implemented. He hence secured a legal victory which saved the state $250,000.<ref>"Soldier of Justice Loses Last Fight:: Valiant  Warrior for Public Rights Dies in This City: Milton J. Cunningham Had Held Many Offices; Showed Mettle That Wins," ''New Orleans Times-Picayune,'' October 20, 1916.</ref>​

As attorney general, Cunningham rarely employed outside counsel and handled even complicated cases himself. In the process he saved taxpayers a considerable amount of money. In the 1890s, as attorney general, he worked successfully against the [[lottery]] companies. When the state was sued regarding a contract for work on the Red River, Cunningham defended the state against nine leading lawyers from New Orleans. He proved that the contract was illegal and had not been implemented. He hence secured a legal victory which saved the state $250,000.<ref>"Soldier of Justice Loses Last Fight:: Valiant  Warrior for Public Rights Dies in This City: Milton J. Cunningham Had Held Many Offices; Showed Mettle That Wins," ''New Orleans Times-Picayune,'' October 20, 1916.</ref>​

From 1900 to 1904, Governor William Wright Heard named Cunningham the public administrator for  Orleans Parish, and he continued to practice law in New Orleans and held valuable farm lands in Natchitoches Parish. He was living on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans in 1904; on Coliseum Street, in the 1910 census]<ref name=mjc/>​

From 1900 to 1904, Governor William Wright Heard named Cunningham the public administrator for  Orleans Parish, and he continued to practice law in New Orleans and held valuable farm lands in Natchitoches Parish. He was living on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans in 1904; on Coliseum Street, in the 1910 census]<ref name=mjc/>​

 

==Family and death==​

==Family and death==​

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