Are Lawyers and Attorneys the Same Thing? Recently I was doing some research into legal definitions and I stumbled into an issue. I was reading and found that a lawyer or an attorney are similar yet not interchangeable terms. My next thought was, what really is the distinction between these two titles? So what exactly is the difference between a lawyer and an attorney? Both a lawyer and an attorney have earned a law degree. A lawyer, however, can’t practice law. What this means is that they can only give legal consultation to an individual, not represent them in the court of law. The obstacle in the way of a lawyer being able to practice is passing the bar exam. After this, a lawyer might...
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What's the Difference Between an Attorney and a Lawyer? You’re thinking about getting a divorce. You know that the divorce process can be complicated, especially if your divorce is contested. So, you decide to reach to someone with experience and knowledge for help. You sit down and begin to type “San Diego divorce” and then stop. Should you be searching for a lawyer or an attorney? What’s the difference between the two, anyway? Here’s what you need to know. A Lawyer Has Gone to Law School Lawyers are individuals who have gone to law school and studied the law. They might hold a J.D. or a similar degree from a foreign legal education institution. However, lawyers, technically speaking, can...
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What? A Lawyer Wants Therapy Records? Many a psychologist has been confronted by the ever-present confusion that seems to take place when patient files are requested as part of a legal proceeding. This confusion frequently leads to a variety of questions that revolve around issues of whether these requests mandate disclosure, what records must be disclosed and whether the psychologist is now going to be involved in the legal proceeding. The good news here is that while these requests can initially appear quite daunting, they are really not that difficult to deal with. What all psychologists need to do is to not allow the natural fear that many have about being involved in a legal...
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Ed. note: This post is by Jeena Cho, a Legal Mindfulness Strategist. She is the co-author of The Anxious Lawyer (affiliate link), a book written by lawyers for lawyers that makes mindfulness and meditation accessible and approachable. She is the creator of Mindful Pause, a self-paced online program for creating a more sustainable, peaceful, and productive law practice in just six minutes a day. Jeena offers actionable change strategies for reducing stress and anxiety while increasing productivity, joy, and satisfaction through mindfulness. Like Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief, there are predictable stages that many lawyers go through, from the initial quiet longing to do something...
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Anthony E. Davis, a partner in Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP’s Lawyers for the Profession® practice group, will lead special discussions on Truthfulness: What Good Lawyers Need to Know and When Clients Lie: What’s a Lawyer to do?. For further information, please contact Nancy Gabel at: or 212.822.7616. Evercore Wealth Management, LLC ("EWM") is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. EWM prepared this material for informational purposes only and should not be viewed as advice or recommendations with respect to asset allocation or any particular investment. It is not our intention to state or imply in any...
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As you move toward retirement, you might not consider obtaining legal advice for your future planning. When you find yourself needing legal assistance, you may question who you need to call. There are so many different types of lawyers, many of whose titles include large words and legal lingo that’s hard to understand, such as litigation or acquisition. Below is a breakdown of lawyers that you may find yourself needing as you or your loved ones age. Whether you need assistance with wills, estate planning, finances or long-term care insurance, there are lawyers who are available to help you get your affairs in order. Family Lawyers Family lawyers handle issues relating directly to the...
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For a number of reasons, the field of law is filled with jargon that can often seem complex or confusing to people who don't deal with it on a regular basis. This is often because specific words and phrases carry legal weight that their synonyms might not. A term you might hear often if you have been hurt in an accident is “tort.” I first met the term as a first year law student. At the basic level, a tort is any wrongdoing committed against one party by another that unfairly inflicts harm or loss upon the latter party. Sometimes a tort can also be a crime, but often the wrongdoing perpetrated against the victim does not rise to the level of criminal behavior. Still, it is a violation of...
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Column: This immigration attorney understands her clients. She’s undocumented, too On Friday morning, attorney Lizbeth Mateo went to immigration court in downtown Los Angeles to represent a client with whom she has something in common. Mateo wore a navy blue suit, carried a binder stuffed with court records and announced herself to the immigration judge conducting a hearing. She has no more protection from arrest and deportation than any of her clients, but that’s not something she thinks about on the job. Mateo explained to the judge that her client — a middle-aged man who has lived in the U.S. for three decades — has a daughter who is becoming a naturalized citizen and has agreed to...
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Class actions 101: What you need to know TORONTO -- Class actions are an ever-more common means for groups of people to fight for compensation for damages and frequently made the news in 2019. Here’s how they work. Class-action lawsuits allow groups of people to seek justice against a defendant who is accused of causing loss or harm to others through product liability, privacy breaches, consumer protection issues, environmental accidents, mass personal injury, institutional abuse, and labour and employment issues. They are usually brought by one individual on behalf of many people, with one plaintiff acting as a representative for the class. Class actions are often lengthy, complex and...
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My tweet earlier this week got me thinking about emergency funds: What counts as an emergency? According to Vanguard, an emergency fund is a stash of money set aside to cover the financial surprises life throws your way. A number of people commented that one shouldn’t use an emergency fund to attend a wedding because a wedding “obviously did not fit the definition of emergency.” But, as a lawyer, I have to say, it depends. an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action So does a last minute destination wedding count as an emergency? Some people say a wedding is not unforeseen or does not require immediate action. But this...
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