Counsel

[L. Fr. conseil, conseill, councel.] In practice. An advocate, counsellor or pleader.

3 £1. Com. 26. 1 Kent's Com. 307.

One who assists his client with advice, and pleads for him in open court. See Advocate, Counsellor, Pleader. This word has no plural, and is used to denote either one or more counsel. It is by some supposed to be an abbreviation of counsellor, but rather seems to be derived from the Norman Fr. conseil, which occurs as a distinct word, at an early period, in the sense of pleader. Assizes de Jerusalem, ch. ix. Id. ch. xzvii. Counsel is not used as a title of office, like barrister and serjeant in England, and counsellor in the United States, but as a general professional designation; and is particularly applied to a client's professional adviser or advocate (one or more) in a particular matter or suit, e. g. in the expressions a party's counsel, and the counsel in a cause; in which the use of the term counsellor would in strictness be improper. To a certain extent, however, the terms are synonymous. See Counsellor. " The counsellor should give his counsel to him with [for] whom he is of counseL" 5 Co. 20. See Of Counsel