Lawyer facts for kids
Willem Eduard Bok, Jr. in his court dress.
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| Occupation | |
|---|---|
| Names | Attorney, advocate, barrister, counsel, judge, justice, solicitor, legal executive |
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Activity sectors
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Law, business |
| Description | |
| Competencies | Analytical skills Critical thinking Law Legal research Legal writing Legal ethics |
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Education required
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Professional requirements |
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Fields of
employment |
Courts, government, law firms, NGOs, legal aid, corporations |
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Related jobs
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Barrister, Solicitor, legislature, Judge, Jurist, Advocate, Attorney, Legal executive, Prosecutor, Law clerk, Law professor, Civil law notary, Magistrate, Politician |
A lawyer is a person who studies and practices law. They have a special degree in law. Lawyers also have a license to help people with legal issues in a specific area.
If someone has a problem related to the law, they can ask a lawyer for help. A legal problem is often called a "case." People can hire a lawyer to start a case against someone else. They can also hire a lawyer to defend them in a case.
Contents
What Lawyers Do
Lawyers use their knowledge of the law to help people. They work to convince a court that their client is right.
Helping in Court
When a case goes to court, the lawyer represents their client. This means they speak for their client. If a person is accused of doing something wrong, a defense lawyer tries to show they are innocent. The lawyer who argues that the person did do it is called the prosecutor.
Solving Problems Outside Court
Lawyers also help people "settle out of court." This means both sides of an argument agree to solve their problem. They do this before they have to go to a trial. This can save time and money for everyone involved.
Preparing Legal Papers
Lawyers also prepare important legal documents. For example, they help with buying or selling property. They also help people make a will, which is a document about what happens to their belongings after they pass away. Some lawyers can also take official witness statements. These statements can then be used in court.
Where Lawyers Work
Lawyers work in many different places. Some lawyers work by themselves. Others work in groups called law firms. Some lawyers work for hospitals or private companies. Lawyers who work for companies are often called "in-house counsel."
Paying for Legal Help
Lawyers usually charge money for their work. This is called a fee. However, sometimes lawyers offer free advice. This is called "pro bono" work. It means "for the public good." In many countries, if someone is accused of a crime and cannot pay for a lawyer, the government will pay for one. This is usually done using tax money.
Images for kids
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Oral arguments being made before the New York Court of Appeals.
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Law Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia).
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Clara Shortridge Foltz, admitted to the California Bar through an examination before attending law school.
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U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is a famous example of a lawyer who became a politician.
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Stamp issued to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the American Bar Association.
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A British political cartoon showing a barrister and a solicitor throwing black paint at a woman sitting at the feet of a statue representing Justice.
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Peasants paying for legal services with produce in The Village Lawyer, c. 1621, by Pieter Brueghel the Younger
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16th-century painting of a civil law notary, by Flemish painter Quentin Massys. A civil law notary is roughly analogous to a common law solicitor, except that, unlike solicitors, civil law notaries do not practice litigation to any degree.
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Detail from the sarcophagus of Roman lawyer Valerius Petronianus 315–320 AD. Picture by Giovanni Dall'Orto.
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King James I overseeing a medieval court, from an illustrated manuscript of a legal code.
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Example of a diploma from Suffolk University Law School conferring the Juris Doctor degree.
See also
In Spanish: Abogado para niños
