law ‧ yer S3 W2 /ˈlɔːjə $ ˈlɒːjər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ law , ↑ lawyer , ↑ outlaw , ↑ lawfulness , ↑ lawlessness ; verb : ↑ outlaw ; adverb : ↑ lawfully ≠ ↑ unlawfully ; adjective : ↑ lawful ≠ ↑ unlawful ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: law + -yer (from -IER(1) ) ]
someone whose job is to advise people about laws, write formal agreements, or represent people in court
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COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ get a lawyer
If you are charged with breaking the law, you will need to get a lawyer.
▪ hire/engage a lawyer
He’s rich enough to hire a good lawyer.
▪ see/consult a lawyer (=talk to a lawyer for advice)
She has consulted a lawyer and is considering whether to sue Bailey.
▪ talk to/speak to a lawyer (=for advice)
Have you spoken to a lawyer?
▪ a lawyer acts for/defends/represents somebody
a group of lawyers who represent the airline
▪ a lawyer argues something
His lawyers argued that the charges against him were baseless.
▪ a lawyer advises something
His lawyers advised him not to comment.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + lawyer
▪ a defence lawyer (=a lawyer who tries to prove in court that someone is not guilty)
This evidence was given to the defence lawyer.
▪ a prosecution lawyer (=a lawyer who tries to prove in court that someone is guilty)
The prosecution lawyer asked his witness a question.
▪ a civil rights lawyer
He has worked as a civil rights lawyer for over twenty years.
▪ a criminal lawyer
She is one of the country’s leading criminal lawyers.
▪ a libel lawyer
The actress is unhappy about the magazine article and has consulted a libel lawyer.
▪ a clever lawyer
A clever lawyer may get a case against his client dropped because of a technicality.
▪ a hotshot lawyer (=a successful and confident lawyer)
He’s a hotshot lawyer with a growing reputation.
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THESAURUS
▪ lawyer someone whose job is to advise people about laws, write formal agreements, or represent people in court:
His lawyer told him to plead guilty.
▪ attorney American English a lawyer. Attorney sounds more formal than lawyer :
‘The United States sees intellectual property rights as sacred,’ said Thomas Klitgaard, an attorney specializing in international law.
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Acting on the advice of his attorney, he remained silent throughout the questioning.
▪ solicitor a type of lawyer in Britain who gives legal advice, prepares the documents when property is bought or sold, and defends people, especially in the lower courts of law:
She works as a commercial property solicitor at Nabarro Nathanson in London.
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He went to the family solicitor to make a will.
▪ barrister a lawyer in Britain who can argue cases in the higher law courts:
McWalter's barrister, Hugh Vass, stressed his client’s previous good character.
▪ advocate formal a formal word for a lawyer in American English, or a barrister in Scotland:
The committee can put questions to the defendant or his advocate.
▪ brief British English informal the lawyer who represents someone in a court case:
His brief asked for a fine rather than a prison sentence.
▪ counsel [uncountable] the lawyer or group of lawyers who are representing someone in court:
counsel for the defence/prosecution