Lawyer? Shouldn't that be Solicitor?

[nickytwotimes]

So says dh anytime he hears lawyer being used outwith USA copntext.

Is he right?

[Hulababy]

flowerybeanbag - Dh is a solicitor and would hapilt refer to one of his highly trained and qualified legal execs as a lawyer.

[Turniphead1]

Actually, yes, I would agree Freckle. A legal execs are a profession with a governing body. Any eejit can be a paralegal (and some of them are! some are great). A large amount of what they do is admin related and many have no legal training whatsoever. The US paralegals tend to be highly qualified but not here.

[Freckle]

I should add that, if you go to see a solicitor about something, the chances are that you may well be dealt with by a legal executive for the whole of your matter and will never know the difference. You should not worry because legal executives are highly trained and frequently more experienced than many solicitors.

[Freckle]

A legal executive is most definitely a lawyer. They are governed by a professional legal body, the Institute of Legal Executives, and their training procedures are vigorously supervised and accredited. They have their own caseloads and do, in the main, very much the same work as solicitors. Their rights of audience in court are increasing and there is very little that a solicitor is authorised to do that a legal executive isn't. The difference between them these days is more to do with how they qualify. Legal executives train pretty much the same way as chartered accountants, training and qualifying whilst actually doing the job.

The dictionary definition of a lawyer is: a professional person authorised to practice law, conduct lawsuits or give legal advice, which I would suggest pretty much includes legal execs.

[elkiedee]

I work as support staff in an inhouse legal department, and job titles were changed from senior solicitor and solicitor a few years ago to lawyer/senior lawyer. We have barristers and solicitors occupying the same posts, as well as some people who are legally qualified but not in the UK (especially in Australia and NZ), so we had people who were qualified for the jobs they do, but not allowed to call themselves solicitor.

Previously, because of the career path they'd ended up taking, I think we had a few people who had trained as a barrister, taken on a litigation role that involved a lot of court work, and had to then qualify as a solicitor.

[Hulababy]

Legal exec and paralegals are lawyers - they practise law. The term lawyer emcompasses all.

[No19]

He doesn't do it to annoy me or play a part he does it because after all these years it comes naturally to him to argue like that. So I should imagine won't ever wear off till he's a very elder lemon. Sadly.

[LadyThompson]

Bah humbug icod

It's Friday afternoon

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[LadyThompson]

Not for me

[No19]

Wigs in bed you mean cod?

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[No19]

LOL turnip my DP has said to me NUMEROUS times "is it not the case that..?"

[LadyThompson]

I love to call him "M' Learned Counsel" when he is being a nit, as well.

[No19]

And before anyone asks, no I have never asked him "to wear his wig and gown"... ifkwim.

[Turniphead1]

"Ojection, Counsel is harassing the witness!!!" . Fantastic. My best friend is married to a barrister and finds the same. She said he once started a sentence with "I put it to you.." and she had to give him a belt!

[LadyThompson]

Ooh, I give as good as I get. DP will often bellow "It's like being in *ing court!"

[No19]

Therein lies the rub, turniphead. I have been known to yell at DP YOU ARE NOT BLOODY CROSS EXAMINING ME or DO YOU THINK I AM IN THE FARKING WITNESS BOX etc etc. It goes down an absolute treat .

[Turniphead1]

But no.19 and LadyT can you EVER win an argument?

My DH cites unfair disadvantage in the arguing stakes and says he would cry if he every got one of my "stern letters" lol...

[No19]

[LadyThompson]

Hear hear No19

[LadyThompson]

No no no, Turniphead, it's not ME! It's my DP! All barristers really love themselves...but it's a v skilled job (even prouder emoticon)

[No19]

My DP is a barrister and I don't think I've ever heard himself refer to himself as a lawyer. It would be "correct" for him to do so, though.

In a work context I think he would call himself or a colleague counsel, but if someone asked him outside work "what do you do?" he would say barrister.

I have never heard legal secs, execs etc called lawyers and I don't think it would be "correct".

Male barristers are sexy and intelligent and fab!!

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[Turniphead1]

Barristers would worry people might think they were solicitors, LadyT, lol

Now didn't know we had counsel on our birth board! Like someone else on this post, I would have loved to have been a barrister but got lured by the ease of a training contract for a big city Law Firm...silly me!