What is a lawyer Cambridge Dictionary?
Asked by: Miss Autumn Mohr | Last update: November 30, 2025Score: 4.8/5 (69 votes)
someone whose job is to give advice to people about the law and speak for them in court: I want to see my lawyer before I say anything.
What is the definition of a lawyer?
A lawyer is a professional who is qualified to offer advice about the law or represent someone in legal matters. A lawyer can also be called an attorney, a solicitor, a counselor, a barrister, or — pejoratively — an ambulance chaser.
What is a lawyer Oxford dictionary?
/ˈlɔɪər/ , /ˈlɔyər/ a person who is trained and qualified to advise people about the law and to represent them in court, and to write legal documents. Join us. Join our community to access the latest language learning and assessment tips from Oxford University Press!
What is the British definition of lawyer?
SYNONYMY NOTE: lawyer is the general term for a person trained in the law and authorized to advise or represent others in legal matters; counselor and its British equivalent, barrister, refer to a lawyer who conducts cases in court; attorney, usually, and its British equivalent, solicitor, always, refer to a lawyer ...
What is the Cambridge definition of attorney?
a lawyer, especially one who represents someone in court: You should consult an attorney before making any major decisions. (Definition of attorney from the Cambridge Essential Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
lawyer Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary
What is the difference between an attorney and a lawyer?
The primary difference between an attorney and a lawyer is that an attorney is licensed to practice law and represent clients in court, while a lawyer has completed law school but may not be licensed to practice law. All attorneys are lawyers, but not all lawyers are attorneys.
What is law according to Cambridge Dictionary?
law noun (RULE)
a rule, usually made by a government, that is used to order the way in which a society behaves: There are laws against drinking in the street. The laws governing the possession of firearms are being reviewed.
What do British call a lawyer?
barrister, one of the two types of practicing lawyers in England and Wales, the other being the solicitor. In general, barristers engage in advocacy (trial work) and solicitors in office work, but there is a considerable overlap in their functions.
Can I call myself a lawyer UK?
Lawyer is a general term used to describe people who provide legal services. Unlike terms such as solicitor or barrister, lawyer has no defined meaning in UK law. Anyone can call themselves a lawyer, regardless of whether they have any professional legal qualifications or not.
Is an attorney a lawyer UK?
Meanwhile, 'attorney' has French roots and originates from a word meaning to act on behalf of others. This distinction explains why attorneys are regarded as lawyers that practice in a court of law and on behalf of a client, but lawyers don't always do this.
What is a lawyer Webster's definition?
law·yer ˈlȯ-yər ˈlȯi-ər. : a person whose profession is to conduct lawsuits for clients or to advise about legal rights and obligations.
Why are lawyers called lawyers?
Attorney and lawyer mean the same thing. Attorney derives from an Old French word for lawyer ("attorn"), while lawyer derives from the Old English word ("lawe"). That we use both today is more a reflection of the complicated history of the English language rather than any kind of legal distinction.
What is the root word for lawyer?
Word History and Origins
Origin of lawyer1. First recorded in 1350–1400, lawyer is from the Middle English word lawyere. See law 1, -ier 1.
What is more prestigious, a doctor or a lawyer?
In general, a doctor. This does not mean every doctor is more prestigious than every lawyer. One reason would be that there are significantly fewer doctors than there are lawyers. I hasten to add that the help a person could get from a practitioner of either profession is priceless.
Who was the first lawyer ever?
The earliest people who could be described as “lawyers” were most likely the orators of ancient Athens. They faced certain struggles trying to organize into a real profession. They had to uphold the “legal fiction” that they were merely ordinary citizens generously helping out a friend in exchange for a fee.
Is "lawyer" an American term?
'Lawyer' is used to describe anyone that is licensed to work as a legal practitioner and can give legal advice on a matter. Although the word 'lawyer' in the United States has bled over into the British English vocabulary, it isn't really an occupation; more of a general umbrella term.
Is pretending to be a lawyer illegal?
Of course, we would never seriously recommend faking being a lawyer. Practicing the law without a license is illegal, and many who do so end up in jail -- leaving their defrauded "clients" out in the cold.
Is a paralegal a lawyer?
Lawyers are licensed to practice law and represent clients, whereas paralegals are not. This means that lawyers are typically more highly trained and better compensated than paralegals. Paralegals support lawyers by assisting with legal research, document preparation, and client communications.
What's the difference between counsel and lawyer?
A lawyer is a general term for someone who is qualified to practice law. A legal counsel is a specific type of lawyer who provides advice and assistance to individuals, organizations, or businesses on legal matters.
What is a slang word for lawyer?
Mouthpiece is a slang term for a lawyer, especially a criminal defense lawyer. The term stems from the view of lawyers as being the spokesperson for their client.
What are lawyers called in Canada?
All Canadian lawyers can call themselves both “barristers and solicitors”, although many define their practices as either one or the other. A barrister is a litigator, i.e. a courtroom lawyer. Traditionally, the Bar was the place in a courtroom where counsel stood to address the court.
What is a barrister called in the USA?
The United States does not distinguish between lawyers as barristers and solicitors. Any American lawyer who has passed a bar examination and has been admitted to practice law in a particular U.S. jurisdiction may prosecute or defend.
Is Cambridge law hard to get into?
Academic requirements
The minimum academic entry requirement for the Cambridge LLM is a First Class degree in law from a UK university or its equivalent from an overseas institution. This means you will typically be placed well within the top 10% of law students in your jurisdiction.
What does llb mean?
"stands for 'Legum Baccalaureus,' the formal Latin designation for what was once almost universally the first professional law degree in the United States, the Bachelor of Laws.
How long is a master's at Cambridge?
MSts are academically rigorous postgraduate programmes, containing a significant taught element and a research project and associated dissertation, usually undertaken over two years.