The British have Barristers. Other countries have counselors-at-law.
In the United States, we have lawyers and attorneys.
Is there a difference between a lawyer and an attorney?
According to mylawquestions.com:
“Generally speaking, an attorney, or attorney-at-law, is a person who is a member of the legal profession. An attorney is qualified and licensed to represent a client in court. By most definitions, an attorney may act on the client’s behalf and plead or defend a case in legal proceedings.
The English word attorney has French origins, where it meant a person acting for another as an agent or deputy.
A lawyer, by definition, is someone who is trained in the field of law and provides advice and aid on legal matters. Because a lawyer also conducts suits in court proceedings and represents clients in various legal instances, the term has expanded to overlap the definition of attorney. In the U.S., attorney and lawyer are normally considered synonyms. The term lawyer has Middle English roots.”
Mostly it seems to be a matter of semantics, at least in the United States. Technically one can be a lawyer by graduating law school, even though they are not licensed to practice law.
Fascinating stuff, right?
goodyardhairblog provided the photo