Attorney Vs. Lawyer

Attorney Vs. Lawyer: What's the difference?

According to google, the most popular search for the word “Attorney” is the the difference between an attorney versus a lawyer and we get it! It’s completely confusing as to why some legal professionals are referred to as lawyers and some are called attorneys. In this blog we will break down the definition of each term, the history of the two, what the difference is, how to know what legal professional to look for when hiring and how to proceed with this knowledge in your legal matter. 

1)  What Is A Lawyer?

A lawyer is an individual who completed law school with a JD degree(Juris Doctorate). They do not have to pass the bar exam and many law firms across the U.S do not require that you do to still perform tasks to work for them. However, if you want to represent clients, give legal advice or assist in any courtroom settings in depth that is considered illegal for a lawyer. There are still an abundance of jobs you can complete as a lawyer such as: becoming an investigator, researcher, administrator, editor, consultant and much more. 

2)  What Is An Attorney?

An attorney, as defined by Google, is a person who is appointed to represent another in legal matters. Representation can range from an individual to a corporation. Attorneys are those who, like lawyers, complete law school with a JD degree but also pass the bar exam. Thus the term Attorney/Lawyer can be interchangeable for those who pass the bar exam but cannot be used for those who did not pass. 

3)  History

Lawyers are coined to have existed since the colonial time period, however, it wasn't until the creation of the bar exam that the branding of attorneys vs. lawyers came about. Up until the year 1860 it was enough to become a lawyer by internships and even simple oral examinations. With the succession of one of the two avenues, you were then deemed a lawyer and able to take on any range of clientele. The term “Bar exam” came from a time in the medieval royal courts when it was said that barristers and lawyers were the only professions that had to be carried out past the bar. After 1860, when each colony in the U.S jumped on the bar bandwagon, there had to be a distinction made between those who went to law school but had yet to take the bar and those who completed law school along with passing the bar exam and thus came forth the attorneys vs lawyers contrast. 

4)  Know Who To Hire

If you need any legal advice, someone to represent you or just point you in the general direction of where to go with your legal matter, you are going to want someone who passed the bar exam, aka, an attorney! If you are looking to get more information about a legal topic, read some blog articles, someone who can interpret the law for you or answer any questions about a specific subject than you can speak to a law school graduate, aka, a lawyer!

5)  Where To Look

You can find a list of attorneys on your state bar associations website. Each state bar association displays a list of attorneys and their practice areas. There is also a section, on the website, that displays pro-bono attorneys(which just means attorneys who have to take on a certain amount of cases per year for free)! On these association websites there also should be free resources to those who may not want to take the legal representation route just yet. Another great place to look for attorneys is Superlawyers.com. This site lists all the great attorneys per state and even per subject matter. This site displays the highlighted attorneys accomplishments, ratings, website and contact information. If you are looking for the best attorney to represent your legal matter, Superlawyers is another great place to start. 

6)  How To Proceed

Once you are clear on the definition of an attorney and a lawyer then you will need to decide on whether or not you need representation or someone to interpret the law for you. The next step is to dictate a legal matters budget. How much are you willing to spend on your case? Some legal professionals charge by the hour, others by package deals and many charge by case win. It is up to you to decide how much you want to pay and how frequently. After that has been clarified the next step is to find your appropriate professional. Do you want a man, woman or non-binary individual? Do you want someone younger or older? Does ethnicity matter to you? All of these are questions you should answer clearly before going into google to physically begin your search. After these are identified then you would be well equipped to begin your quest!

We hope this has been insightful for you on the difference between an attorney and a lawyer and has provided you with the necessary tools to be able to move forward! If you have any questions, comments or concerns be sure to leave them below!