Many Types of Attorneys
The definition of a lawyer is someone who has been trained in the law of a particular country; if they act as a legal counsel they are called legal advisors but are also commonly referred to as attorneys. The term advocate is used when a lawyer acts on behalf of the person he is representing in a courtroom; whilst they are able to appear in court to represent their clients some prefer this work more than others. As a legal advisor, their aim is to provide legal counsel; providing recommendations to clients in matters that could be civil or criminal.
Attorneys specializing in courtroom procedure are called trial lawyers; this does not appeal to everyone because it requires fast thinking plus a confident manner, and those who prefer to carry out his work are paid very well.Trial lawyers spend the majority of their time outside the courtroom; they perform their own investigations into the case in addition to other trial procedures including talking to witnesses.
The law in all its guises affects every aspect of modern society; whether you are buying a house or making an insurance claim, but because lawyers are in a position of authority they must abide by very strict rules to govern their conduct. Some areas of law are so highly specialized that legal representatives may never have to appear in a courtroom; although they are all licensed too represent in court when required
There are many areas now where an attorney can specialize; just a few examples are listed here: Constitutional Law, Aviation Law, Civil Law and Divorce Law. Depending on their area of expertise, some may never see the inside of a courtroom! Representing environmental issues can mean they may work for the government or private companies; an example of this group could be: Waste Disposal Companies, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Large Corporations.
Often the work can be quite mundane involving planning applications and licenses as an example. There are cases where the attorney will also protect companies where claims for damages are being sought.
Attorneys are also involved with laws protecting intellectual property rights, an area much in the news of late; property like digital media, CD’s, computer games and software for instance, are particularly at risk since the advent of the Internet. Legal departments within insurance companies also employ specialist lawyers; they investigate the legality of insurance transactions, writing insurance policies to conform with the law and protect companies from false claims.
Despite these different areas of legislature, most attorneys will practice in the field of either criminal or civil law; persons charged with crimes are represented by criminal attorneys on both sides one for the defense and one for the prosecution; whereas civil law deals with civil disputes, usually between two parties.
Many individuals prefer very high profile, “public interest cases” both criminal and civil; this can be where a large company or government body may be involved with actions that have affected the general public. Still other lawyers use their skills working for non-profit organizations and other charitable bodies; they help to look after the legal rights of disadvantaged and less fortunate people around the world.