“My lawyer signed the contract on my behalf.”
Usage Entry 1399 / 1605 60-second read
Lawyer vs. Attorney
A trained legal professional versus a lawyer authorised to act on a client's behalf.
The comparisoni
“My attorney signed the contract on my behalf — technically, ATTORNEY emphasises authority to act for someone. In practice, US English uses the words interchangeably.”
The ruleii
¶
LAWYER ≈ ATTORNEY in US.
LAWYER = anyone qualified in law (passed the bar). ATTORNEY (short for "attorney-at-law") = a lawyer authorised to act on behalf of a client. In US usage the distinction is mostly washed out. UK English distinguishes BARRISTER (court advocate) from SOLICITOR (legal adviser).
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
In the US, near-synonyms.