Both attorneys and lawyers are professionals trained in the legal field and offer legal services to their clients. Despite having different experiences, levels of authority, and scopes of practice, the two terms are mistakenly used interchangeably by the majority of the population.
While both attorneys and lawyers are licenced to practice law, the two differ in several ways. In this article, we will look into the differences between attorney vs lawyer.
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Attorney vs Lawyer: The Major Differences
Here are the major differences between an attorney and a lawyer:
1. Educational Qualifications
Both attorneys and lawyers pursue a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, which is common in the United States, or a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), which is prevalent in other countries, including India. The majority of attorneys and lawyers pursue higher education, earning a degree in Master of Laws (LLM).
Though both have similar educational qualifications and are law school graduates, an attorney is the one who has passed the bar exam. The state bar association administers the bar exam, which consists of questions testing knowledge of both general legal principles and state-specific laws. A lawyer is someone who has not necessarily passed the bar exam.
2. Experience and Practice
An attorney is someone who is legally appointed to represent someone in court and practices law. On the other hand, a lawyer is an umbrella term that is used to refer to anyone who has a law degree. The people you see arguing in courts in movies are attorneys, not lawyers. A lawyer can be a legal advisor or consultant.
3. Specialisation
The legal field is not only restricted to court arguments and criminal proceedings; it has different areas. As such, both attorneys and lawyers have different areas of specialisation. Attorneys can specialise in various areas, such as family law, criminal law, corporate law, or intellectual property law. Similarly, lawyers can also choose to focus their practice on specific fields, like immigration law or environmental law.
Who earns more- an attorney or a lawyer?
An attorney is more qualified and has more experience than a lawyer; hence, attorneys get paid more than lawyers. The average monthly salary for an attorney in India is somewhere between INR 80k to 120k. However, the actual salaries vary on experience, skill set, and legal specialisation. For example, corporate attorneys earn more than family law attorneys.
On the other hand, the average salary of a lawyer is INR 50k. Again, the actual salaries vary on the designation, set of skills and experience.
The Bottom Line
Both attorneys and lawyers are professionals who have a law degree. They both provide legal advice to clients. However, attorneys are professionals trained to practice law in court, whereas lawyers are typically referred to as people with law degrees. Attorneys have a higher level of education and specialisation. In simple terms, we can say that every attorney can be referred to as a lawyer, but not every lawyer can be referred to as an attorney.
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