Beforethemodernera,priortothemergingofthecourtsoflawwith

thecourtsofequity,attorneyandlawyerwereseparateconceptswith
separateresponsibilities.However,inthepresentage,andinthe
generalandspecificparlanceoftheUnitedStates,thereisnodifference
betweenanattorneyandalawyer.Theyaresynonymsandareused
interchangeably.Incurrentusage,anattorney,sometimesreferredtoas
anattorneyatlaworalawyer,isapersonwhoisamemberofthelegal
profession,qualifiedandlicensedtorepresentaclientincourt,acton
theclientsbehalf,andpleadordefendacaseinlegalproceedings.A
lawyerissomeoneproperlytrainedinthelawandlicensedtodispense
legaladvice.Distinctionsbetweenthetwotermsarefoundinboththe
historyoftheEnglishlanguageandinthehistoricaldevelopmentofthe
legalprofession.
OriginsoftheTerms
Anoverviewoftheetymologyrevealsthatbothtermsbegintoappear
inthe13thand14thcenturies.Thewordattorneyderivesfromthe
OldFrenchattornemeaningappointedorassigned.Lawyer,the
laterterm,isamodificationofthewordlaw,originallymeaningto
lay,andisofGermanic/Norseorigin.TheirdifferentiationinEnglish
stemsfromtheuseofFrenchandotherLatinbasedlanguagesinthe
legalsystemsofcontinentalEurope.WithFrenchemergingasthe
languageofbusinessandtrade,thetermattorneygainedpreference.
InEngland,becauseoftheNormanFrenchinfluenceonthe
developmentoftheEnglishlegalsystem,thetermattorneyisalso
dominant.Theappearanceandtheuseoflawyerindicateashiftof
politicalpowernotonlyinthelanguageoftheEnglishrulingclassand
legalsystem,butontheworldsceneaswell.Also,documentswritten
inEnglishtendtowardsapreponderanceofLatinbasedwords,thus
attorneyappearsmorefrequently.SpokenEnglishleansmoretoward
AngloSaxonandGermanicbasedwords,hencethepreferencefor
lawyer.
Inthehistoricaldevelopmentoftheterm,lawyerandattorneyarejust
twoofseveralusedtoindicatethelimitationsplacedonsomeoneinthe
legalprofession.InBritain,asolicitorgiveslegaladvicewhilea
barristerappearsincourt.Attimes,lawyerisidentifiedasthe

professionwhileattorneyisthedesignationofthestatusoftheperson
representingsomeoneelsesrights.Argumentsexistthattheremustbe
adifferencebecausethetermsarenotinterchangeable,thusAttorney
GeneralandattorneyatLaw,ratherthanLawyerGeneraland
lawyeratlaw.Aquickexaminationrevealshowever,thattheformer
termisaFrenchderivative,andthelattertermisredundant.Theterm
powerofattorney,insteadofpoweroflawyer,returnstothe
etymologicaloriginoftheword:someoneappointed,orassigned.
Intodaysworld,otherthanasanexerciseinetymologicalstudiesand
historicaldevelopment,thereisnodifferencebetweenanattorneyanda
lawyer.Whenaclienthiresalawyer,heorsheisgettinganattorney.
Butifaclientprefersanattorney,alawyerisalsoprovided.