At Law
Defined in 6 dictionaries — Cyclopedic (1922), Ballentine's (1916), Bouvier (1914), Black's (1910), Black's (1891), Burrill (1850)
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary
Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922
According to the course of the common law; in the law.
Ballentine's Law Dictionary
James A. Ballentine · 1916
Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia
John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914
According to the course of the common law. In the law.
Black's Law Dictionary
Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910
A Dictionary of Law
Henry Campbell Black · 1891
According tolaw; by, for, or in law; particularly in distinction from that which is done in or according to equity; or in titles such as sergeant at Jaw, barrister at law, attorney or counsellor at law.
A New Law Dictionary and Glossary
Alexander M. Burrill · 1850
[L. Fr. a ley; L. Lat. ad legem,] According to law; by, for, or in law. This common expression has been applied from a very early period exclusively to the English common law, and seems peculiar to it. " At common law," (answering to the Fr. al com^en ley, and Lat. ad comm Mnem legem,) is a phrase of constant occurrence in the books; in being the corresponding preposition applied to equity, '* At law ana in equity" b a phrase in daily use. At law forms a part of the well-known professional titles, serjeant at law, and barrister at law, in England, and attorney at law, and counsellor at la/w, in the United States. These have not undergone any change, but the old and bng obsolete English title, apprentice at law had also the forms of ** apprentice in law," and " apprentice (/law. See Apprenti^us ad legem. An attorney at law is still occasionally called an "attorney in law," by way of clearer distinction from attorney in fact. Story on Agency, § 24. The prepositions at and in both seem, in these connexions, to have the sense of for.