What Does an Attorney Do?

Answer:
An attorney is a person who is licensed to practice law in a certain area or jurisdiction.

An attorney's services may vary according to his or her specialty. However, a lawyer's responsibility is generally to act as an advocate for her client. In fact, one of the other terms for “attorney” is “advocate,” as well as “solicitor,” “counselor,” and “barrister.”

Some areas that an attorney might specialize in include business contracts, wills, bankruptcy, lawsuits, business law, and real estate law. Of course, an attorney might also be a trial lawyer, which is what most people think of, especially after watching television shows like Law and Order. Trial lawyers can be attorneys who are either privately retained or who work as public defenders, representing clients who cannot afford an attorney.