A lawyer is a person who practices law, as an advocate, barrister, attorney, counselor, solicitor, not as a paralegal or charter executive secretary.
Even though most lawyers concentrate in criminal or civil law, some lawyers rarely see the inside of a court room. Even lawyers who do practice courtroom litigation wind up spending most of their time doing research and interviewing clients and witnesses outside of the courtroom.
When you correspond with a lawyer, you have two choices: Write the person using a standard courtesy title (“Mr. Robert Jones” or “Ms. Cynthia Adams”) or, skip the courtesy title and put “Esquire” after the name, using its abbreviated form, “Esq.” (“Robert Jones, Esq.” or “Cynthia Adams, Esq.”)
First I will address the difference between a lawyer and an attorney. Practically, these two words mean the same thing, and can be used interchangeably. Both words refer to someone who is trained and licensed to give legal advice. But technically, there appear to be some differences.Jan 12, 2008
Lawyer is a general term for a person who gives legal device and aid and who conducts suits in court. An attorney or, more correctly, an attorney-at-law, is a member of the legal profession who represents a client in court when pleading or defending a case. In the US, attorney applies to any lawyer.
Salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that lawyers earned an average salary of $130,490 a year, or $62.74 per hour, for 2011. This figure factors in all lawyers, no matter their experience. First-year associates often make much less money than other lawyers in a firm.