Foote studied law with Judge
Daniel Cady in
Johnstown, New York. During his studies, Foote worked as a teacher and surveyor. After being admitted to the bar, he settled in western New York. They would have two daughters, while living in
Seneca Falls,
Mary, born July 21, 1842, who later became an artist, feminist and writer Foote served as district attorney and then judge of the court of common pleas of
Seneca County, New York, before resigning in 1846. After resigning his judgeship, Foote worked in private practice. His specialty was
patent law, and he made several valuable inventions. The family moved to
Saratoga Springs around 1860. They were living there when in 1865 he was appointed to serve an apprenticeship on the Board of Examiners-in-Chief
U. S. Patent Office in Washington, D.C. On July 25, 1868, Foote was appointed as the eleventh
Commissioner of Patents, to fill the remaining term of
Thomas Clarke Theaker who was forced to resign. When Foote became commissioner, he began investigating expenditures of the department, noting that the quantities of supplies and the prices paid for them were exorbitant. He filed a complaint with the Secretary of the Interior and an investigation was launched. The findings of the commission which investigated the complaint found that the office had lost over $80,000 over the previous one year period. There was evidence of handshake agreements, though legally a contract was required, as well as incidents of over ordering and under delivery of goods. He also discovered cases in which patents had been granted for money, rather on their merits. Instead, he remained on the Board of Examiners-in-Chief for several years and then returned to private practice of patent law. He and Eunice remained in Washington for several years, but had returned to New York by 1878. From the late 1870s to early 1880s, Foote was involved with Mary's husband,
John B. Henderson in a series of lawsuits against Missouri counties for failure to make good on railway bonds. The
Supreme Court of Missouri ruled that the law which allowed counties to collect taxes to pay for railroad bonds was unconstitutional, but the
United States Supreme Court disagreed with the lower court. The cases were remanded to the District Court for the Western District of Missouri and the Circuit Court, which confirmed the Supreme Court ruling and ordered the counties to pay Foote. They won judgments in
Cape Girardeau County,
Macon County,
Marion County, and
Pike County, among others. In some cases the judgments were tens of thousands of dollars and media reported that the judgements were worth millions. Foote was the author of several books and papers on mathematics. He patented several mechanical inventions, including a skate, a drying machine, and a reaping and binding machine. ==Death and legacy==