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In the United States, all jurisdictions have a bar association (or equivalent) — an organization of which members of the bar in that jurisdiction may (or must) be members.
Traditionally, the bar association issues a magazine or journal, forms committees to deal with issues relating to the bar such as fee disputes, rules, and the like, and promotes the greater good of the profession.
Many jurisdictions, particularly in the West, have an integrated bar, meaning that the state's bar association is the body which licenses, regulates, and disciplines Lawyers, and membership therein is mandatory. The largest integrated bar is the State Bar of California.
In other jurisdictions, membership in the state bar association is voluntary, and the bar association has no official power, except those which may be conferred upon it by the state's highest court.
In some jurisdictions, there also exist county or local bar associations, which normally deal with the same issues, except on a more localized basis. There are also bar associations organized by and for members of a particular ethnic group (often based on gender, race, religion, or national heritage) or whose members share common legal interests or practices (such as bankruptcy Lawyers or in-house counsel).
Shakespeare's quote that "the first thing we do, let's kill all the Lawyers." (Henry VI, part 2) has been popular among the American public during the later stages of the twentieth century. During this time many people have felt that there is too much litigation, and have blamed this on the growing number of Lawyers. For example, this was an issue famously raised by Dan Quayle - who was himself a Lawyer - in the 1988 presidential campaign. Many bar associations have since raised standards for licensing of Lawyers, both in terms of bar examination scores, and in terms of personal background. As Quayle pointed out, the U.S. has by far the highest percentage of Lawyers per capita of any country in the world. Despite these higher standards, public perception of Lawyers has continued to degrade, a trend which the legal community attributes to the easy target the profession makes for politicians (who are often Lawyers themselves) eager to attract the votes of a population that distrusts the mechanics of the legal system.
Broadly speaking, an "Attorney" is one who acts on behalf of another person in some capacity. For example, an "Attorney-in-fact" is a kind of agent who acts on behalf of another person, typically with respect to business, property, or personal matters, and who generally does not have to have a particular license from the government. By contrast an Attorney-at-law is a Lawyer -- a person trained and licensed to practise law -- to represent clients in legal matters (both in and out of court) and to give legal advice. In the United States, the term "Attorney" as used in every day speech usually refers to a Lawyer.
In common-law jurisdictions outside the United States, e.g., England, Canada, Australia, “Attorney” is incorrect as a general term, and "Lawyer" is used intead. However, in these areas, the specific terms “crown Attorney”, “power of Attorney”, and “Attorney General” are used.
In earlier times, some states, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court, maintained a divided legal profession, as can still be found in the United Kingdom, consisting of Attorneys (solicitors) and counsellors (barristers). In deference to this practice, when an Attorney-at-Law is admitted to practice in some states, his or her certificate of admission bears the title Attorney and Counsellor-at-Law in recognition of his inheritance of both of these roles.
Some Attorneys use the post-nominal "Esq.", as the abbreviated form of the word Esquire.
In the United States, an Attorney is similar to an agent, a person who has been formally empowered by someone else (a "principal") to act on behalf of the principal. However, the definition of an "agent" varies. For example, any person that acts on behalf of a corporation is, technically, an agent -- though most lack the requisite legal education and practical experience to avoid the possibility of subsequent litigation. This is especially true in California, where licensed real estate and financial brokers are called agents, but have little to no comprehension of the legal consequences caused by their acts.
A professional Attorney authorized to plead cases on behalf of and in place of their clients (a Lawyer) is called an Attorney-at-law, while someone authorized to act on someone else's behalf in a legal or business matter is an Attorney-in-fact, who does not have to be a Lawyer. However, an Attorney-in-fact may not receive statutory Attorney's fees in federal court, and most state, jurisdictions. Some Attorneys use the title "Esquire" (abbrieviated as Esq.) in lieu of the Attorney at law suffix. While either is acceptable, many practitioners believe that Esq. is a rather pretentious means of self-inflation.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (1) estimates that there are over 500,000 practicing Lawyers in the U.S.
It is frequently said that there are more Lawyers per capita in the U.S. than in any other country in the world. This statistic is misleading because it is difficult to compare numbers of law professionals between different legal systems. The roles of these professionals vary and some of the work that is done in the United States by a Lawyer is performed by several different types of professionals in other countries.
A Lawyer is a person licensed by the state to advise clients in legal matters and represent them in courts of law and in other forms of dispute resolution. Most countries today require professional law advisors in their judicial systems. Lawyers have many names in different countries, including "advocate", "Attorney" (US), "barrister", "counsel", "counselor", "civil law notary" and "solicitor"; many of these names indicate specific classes or ranks of jurists.
Law is a theoretical and abstract discipline, and working as a Lawyer represents the "practical" application of legal theory and knowledge to solve real problems or to advance the interests of those who retain (i.e., hire) Lawyers for legal services.
The role of the Lawyer can vary significantly across legal jurisdictions. For instance, in some countries, Lawyers may be required to lead or manage criminal investigations. In the United States, Lawyers advise their clients regarding their rights, and argue in favor of the best interests of their clients. In the United States, Lawyers have taken over functions that used to be performed by other jurists such as the civil law notary or paralegal.
