Attorney at law

An advocate, counsel, official agent employed in preparing, managing, and trying cases in the courts. An officer in a court of justice, who is employed by a party in a cause to manage the same for him.

In English law. An attorney at law was a public officer belonging to the superior courts of common law at Westminster, who conducted legal proceedings on behalf of others, called his clients, by whom he was retained ; he answered to the solicitor in the courts of chancery, and the proctor of the admiralty, ecclesiastical, probate, and divorce courts. An attorney was almost invariably also a solicitor. It is now provided by the judicature act, 1873, § 87, that solicitors, attorneys, or proctors of, or by law empowered to practise in, any court the jurisdiction, of which is by that act transferred to the high court of justice or the court of appeal, shall be called "solicitors of the supreme court." Wharton. The term is in use in America, and in most of the states includes "barrister," "counsellor," and "solicitor," in the sense in which those terms are used in England. In some states, as well as in the United States supreme court, "attorney" and "counsellor" are distinguishable, the former term being applied to the younger members of the bar, and to those who carry on the practice aud formal parts of the suit, while "counsellor" is the advisee, or special counsel retained to try the cause. In some jurisdictions one must have been an attorney for a given time before he can be admitted to practise as a counsellor. Rap. & It.

An advocate, counsel, official agent employed in preparing, managing, and trying cases in the courts. An officer in a court of justice, who is employed by a party in a cause to manage the same for him.

In English law. An attorney at law was a public officer belonging to the superior courts of common Jaw at Westminster, who conducted legal proceedings on behalf of others, called his clients, by whom he was retained; he answered to the solicitor in the courts of chancery, and the proctor of the 0 a solicitor. It is now provided by the eature act, 1873, § $7, that solicitors, attorneys, or proctors of, or by law empowered to practise in, any court the jurisdiction of which is by that act transferred to the high ‘eourt of justice or the court of appeal, shall be called “solicitors of the supreme court.” Wharton. The term is in use in America, and in most of the states inciudes “barrister, ” “counsellor, ” and dlicitar,” in the sense in which those terms are in England. In some states, as well asin the Wnited States supreme court, “attorney” and “eounsellor” are distinguishable, the former term eing applied to the younger members of the bar, ito those who carry on the practice and formal of the suit, while “counsellor” is the adviser, special counsel retained to try the cause. In me jurisdictions one must have been an attoror a given time before be can be admitted to Prectise as acounsellor, Rap, & L.

[L. Lat. a^ tomatus or atturnatus, procurator, respontalis, qq. v.] In practice. One who is put in the place, stead, or turn of another, to manage his matters of law. 3 Bl. Com. 25. A public attorney (answerinff to the proctor of the ecclesiastical and admiralty courts, the solicitor of courts of equity, and, in many respects, to the procurator ad litem of the civil law) whose office is to appear for the parties to actions and other judicial proceedmgs, and to prosecute and defend them in their behalf, and whose authority is de* rived either from a formal warrant of attorney, or, which is the usual practice, a mere oral retmer. Attomies are regarded as officers of the respective courts in which they are admitted to practice, and their business, as distbguished from that of counsellors, is to carry on the practical and more mechanical parts of suits, or such as do not require to be conlucted in open court. See Counsellor. This distinction has been adopted from the English practice, and where it is observed, attorney is regarded as a name or title of degree as well as of office, to which persons are usually admitted before taking that of counsellor. In many of the United States however no such distinction is observed, although both titles are retamed in common use. 1 Tidd's Fr. 60—90. U, S. Digest, Attomey and counsel. The term attomey {atturnatus) does not appear in English law until the time of Bracton, although it occurs in the Coustumier of Normandy, (c. 65), a compilation of earlier date; whence Cowell reasonably infers it to be of Norman origin. Glanville uses in its place sometimes the word nuntius, sometimes procurator, but most commonly responsalis, (one who answers for another.) 6^/ant;. lib. 11. See Eesponsalis, Mr. Stephen supposes the office of a responsalis to have been in substance the same with that of an attomey. Steph. PI, Appendix, Note (6). Bracton however expressly says that there was a great difference between them, {est differentia magna inter responsalem et attomatum), and enumerates various acts which an attomey could do, and which a responsal could not. Bract, fol. 212 b. And see Id. fol. 349 b. The person by whom an attomey was appomted and for whom he acted, was called his master or lord, (Lat. dominus, Fr. seigniour.) Attomatus fere in omnibus personam domini representat; an attomey represents the person of his master in almost all respects. Id. fol. 342. General attomepuit tant que son seigniour puit; a general attomey may do as much as his lord may. Britt, c. 46. See Dominus, Apprenticius ad legem,

officers, an officer in a court of justice, who is employed by a party in acause to manage the same for him, as his advocate. In some courts, as in the Supreme Court of the United States, advocates are divided into counsellors at law, (q. v.) and attorneys. The business of attorneys is to carry on the practical and more mechanical parts of the suit. 1 Kent, Com. 307; see as to their powers, 2 Supp. to Ves. Jr. 241, 454; 3 Chit. BL 23, 338; 1 Bac. Ab. 287; 7 Bac. Ab. 897; 3 Penna. R. 74; 3 Wils. 374; 16S. & R. 368; 148. & R. 307; 7 Cranch, 452; 1 Penna. R. 264. ATTORNEY GENERAL OF