What is the meaning of local counsel?

Asked by: Alberta Jast  |  Last update: October 22, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (18 votes)

Local Counsel: A lawyer or group of lawyers who practice in a specific area and are hired by lawyers from another place to help with a case or transaction in that area. They know the local laws, rules, and customs and can assist with preparing and trying a case or completing a transaction according to those rules.

What is the real meaning Of Counsel?

to give advice, especially on social or personal problems: The police have provided experts to counsel local people affected by the tragedy.

What is the difference between a lawyer and a counsel?

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 does term Of Counsel mean?

90-357 defines the “Of Counsel” professional designation as a “close, regular, personal relationship” with a lawyer or law firm that is other than that of a partner or associate or the equivalent of a partner or associate.

Is council the same as lawyer?

A counsel or a counsellor at law is a person who gives advice and deals with various issues, particularly in legal matters. It is a title often used interchangeably with the title of lawyer. The word counsel can also mean advice given outside of the context of the legal profession.

How Does Local Counsel Work?

24 related questions found

What is the meaning of council counsel?

Counsel and council are pronounced the same, but they have different (though related) meanings. Counsel is a verb meaning “advise” and a noun meaning “advice” or “instruction.” It can also be used as a noun to refer to a lawyer. Council is a noun referring to an advisory or legislative body of people.

What are the benefits of being an of counsel?

Being of counsel, rather than a partner, is also an option for attorneys who prefer a more predictable, less time-intensive schedule. For many, the tradeoff of a substantially lower (but still high by any reasonable measure) salary for lower hours is a good one.

What is counsel in court?

To counsel is to provide legal advice or guidance to someone on specific subject matter. Counsel is also a lawyer giving advice about a legal matter and representing clients in court. See also: Counselor and Attorney. [Last updated in July of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team ]

What is a first year lawyer called?

First-year associates are entry-level junior attorneys and are generally recent law school graduates in their first year of law practice.

What is the short meaning of counsel?

a. : advice given especially as a result of consultation. He was unwise to reject my counsel. b. : a policy or plan of action or behavior.

What does the name counsel mean?

Meaning:group of people. Counsel is a boy's name meaning "group of people" that derives from the Latin name Council.

Are attorneys higher than lawyers?

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 an example of counsel?

Counsel is another word for advice. Example: He assisted me with good counsel and encouragement. Example: Seek counsel from those who are wiser than you.

Why is counsel important?

Protecting Your Rights. Another important benefit of having legal counsel is that they can protect your rights throughout the legal process. Your lawyer can ensure that your constitutional rights are not violated, and they can help you navigate the legal system.

What is the advice of council?

A quick definition of advice of counsel:

It can be used as a defense in certain legal cases, such as malicious prosecution or wrongful litigation, where the defendant must show that they honestly followed their attorney's advice.

What is an attorney's degree called?

As of 2019, the professional degree required to become a common law lawyer is a Juris Doctor (J.D.). Formerly, this degree was called a Bachelor of Laws (LL. B., Legum Baccalaureatus in Latin), but the name was phased out.

What is a lawyers pay called?

Attorney's fee is a chiefly United States term for compensation for legal services performed by an attorney (lawyer or law firm) for a client, in or out of court. Fees may be an hourly, flat-rate or contingent fee.

What is a normal lawyer called?

Attorney, advocate, barrister, counsel, counsellor, solicitor, legal executive.

What does of counsel do?

Of counsel is the title of an attorney in the legal profession of the United States who often has a relationship with a law firm or an organization but is neither an associate nor partner. Some firms use titles such as "counsel", "special counsel", and "senior counsel" for the same concept.

Is counsel the same as an attorney?

“Legal counsel” is a general term for someone who gives legal advice. Though it is sometimes used interchangeably with lawyer or attorney, it often specifically refers to someone who is trained in law, and works in-house for an organization or corporation.

Why is the right to counsel important?

The lack of resources and access to counsel has a direct impact on outcomes in our justice system. Multiple studies have found that lower levels of public defense spending correlate with negative outcomes for defendants, such as more severe sentences and a higher likelihood of a guilty verdict .

How does of counsel get paid?

The "Of Counsel" attorney could be given profit participation in the firm, which is often coupled with a straight gross revenue share of the fees paid by the attorney's clients. You can hire "Of Counsel" attorneys as independent contractors, as well.

How does counsel help us?

Like prudence, counsel allows us to judge rightly what we should do in a particular circumstance. It goes beyond prudence, though, in allowing such judgments to be made promptly, "as by a sort of supernatural intuition."

What is a counsel job?

Legal counsel is a professional or an organization that provides guidance on legal issues. These professionals are also called counselors or lawyers. Legal counsel refers to law practitioners who can practice in courts of law in states where they've passed a bar exam.