attorney/lawyer

[catie]

Hello teachers.

What's the difference between a lawyer and an attorney? I don't see any difference. I looked up both words in the dictionary and they all seem to say the same. Could you give me some specific details to distinguish them? Thank you in advance!

Catie

[RonBee]

Hello teachers.

What's the difference between a lawyer and an attorney? I don't see any difference. I looked up both words in the dictionary and they all seem to say the same. Could you give me some specific details to distinguish them? Thank you in advance!

Catie

"Lawyer" and "attorney" mean the same thing. Usage is what matters here. For example, in titles, "attorney" is preferred. (The word "counsel" is also used in certain contexts.)

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[Tdol]

In the UK, we don't say 'attorney'. In fact we use 'solicitor' and 'barrister', who are two types of lawyers. The word lawyer is used to talk in general, but not to describe someone's occupation. Here's Shakespeare opinion of lawyers:
The first we do, let's kill all the lawyers.

[RonBee]

I agree that "lawyer" is the more general term.

*Resisting the urge to post a lawyer joke.* _ :wink:

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[Anatoly]

In the UK, we don't say 'attorney'. In fact we use 'solicitor' and 'barrister', who are two types of lawyers. The word lawyer is used to talk in general, but not to describe someone's occupation. Here's Shakespeare opinion of lawyers:
The first we do, let's kill all the lawyers.

Hello, dear teachers,
I wonder what word (especially in B.E.) should be used to describe the occupation of the lawyer who pleads the cases of a certain company as a member of its staff as distinguished from advocates (i.e. like the hero of Keanu Reeves in «The Devil's advocate»).
I always answer «lawyer» when I’m asked about my occupation (for example in application forms for a visa), but now I have some doubts it’s not wrong. Could you explain to me, please, how to do it correctly? Thank you in advance for your help.
P.S. BTW, I liked very much Shakespeare’s idea about lawyers!

[RonBee]

A lawyer who practices corporate law is generally called (in AE) a corporate attorney. If he pleads cases before a judge and jury he is called a trial lawyer.

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[Anatoly]

A lawyer who practices corporate law is generally called (in AE) a corporate attorney. If he pleads cases before a judge and jury he is called a trial lawyer.
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Thank you very much, RonBee, for your quick answer. I practice tax law and plead cases before judges, so I'm a trial lawyer or a tax lawyer, aren't I?
I'm afraid I put a confused question. Sorry for that! I was thinking of the details of my native legal system. Please, never mind!

[RonBee]

A lawyer who practices corporate law is generally called (in AE) a corporate attorney. If he pleads cases before a judge and jury he is called a trial lawyer.
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Thank you very much, RonBee, for your quick answer. I practice tax law and plead cases before judges, so I'm a trial lawyer or a tax lawyer, aren't I?

Yes, either one.

I'm afraid I put a confused question. Sorry for that! I was thinking of the details of my native legal system. Please, never mind!

You seem to me to be neither confused nor confusing. :)

BTW, in Britain what we Americans call a trial lawyer is a barrister.

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[Tdol]

I agree that "lawyer" is the more general term.

*Resisting the urge to post a lawyer joke.* _ :wink:

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I come from a family of lawyers.

[RonBee]

I agree that "lawyer" is the more general term.

*Resisting the urge to post a lawyer joke.* _ :wink:

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I come from a family of lawyers.

Here's something I recently ran across:

"It was so cold in Montana that the lawyers had their hands in their own pockets." --David Crombie



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