He was admitted to the bar in 1904, and after receiving his law degree he joined the law firm Wilder & Anderson in New York City, later known as Wilder, Ewen & Patterson.
Tolbert was the senior member of the firm, working with John Ewen and William M. Patterson.
He specialized in corporate and tax law, and was retained as counsel by a number of business organizations, including the H. Clay Glover Co., which he was also a director of.
[3] While in the Senate, he introduced a bill for the use of voting machines and sponsored a city home rule act.
[4] Tolbert was president of the board of trustees of the Huguenot Memorial Church in Pelham Manor.