He practised as a barrister on the Moreton Bay, Bathurst and Goulburn court circuits of New South Wales with much success.

Pring was appointed as its Crown Prosecutor and a Queen's Counsel by Sir William Montagu Manning, the Solicitor-General for New South Wales.

[1][2][3] On 27 March 1860 Pring was elected to the first Legislative Assembly of Queensland for the district of Eastern Downs, and served under (later Sir) Robert Herbert as Attorney-General in the first Ministry formed under responsible government from December 1859 to August 1865.

Pring then proposed that Clark exit parliament for five minutes to "settle all things", which the Speaker declared to be out of order.

Pring then threatened to kick Clark, by which time the Legislative Assembly was in an uproar with the Speaker unable to restore order.

However, Pring did not apologise but resigned the following day (11 January), evidently believing that would bring the matter to an end.

[4] Following the retirement of Thomas Blacket Stephens due to illness, in May 1875 Pring stood for election for the South Brisbane seat in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, but was defeated by Richard Ash Kingsford.

[4] In 1863 Pring was offered the position of first Chief Justice of Queensland, over the head of the Judge Alfred Lutwyche, but declined the post, and Sir James Cockle was appointed.