The legal profession is filled with jargon and other formal terminology. The professional titles held by those in the legal profession are likewise confusing. Where does one start making sense of the differences between ‘Lawyers’,'advocates', ‘attorneys’, ‘legal administrators’, and ‘paralegals’, for instance?

WHAT EXACTLY IS:

A LAWYER?

The term ‘lawyer’ is often used to refer to a broad spectrum of legal professionals. Generally speaking, though, a lawyer is anyone who has been trained in law. Anyone who has attended law school, and attained an LLB (Bachelor of Laws) degree, is a lawyer.

What this means is that if you are only a lawyer, without any additional qualifications or professional designations, you cannot represent a client in a court of law. What your legal training does qualify you for is acting as a legal consultant or policy advisory, or giving legal advice.

According to Oxford Dictionary descriptions, A Lawyers:

I). A person who practices or studies law, especially (in the UK) a solicitor or a barrister or (in the US) an attorney.

II). Anyone who holds a law degree

III). Give law advice

IV). Can do litigation

V). Role and duties may change depending on the type of lawyer. (Solicitors, attorneys, advocates, barristers, are all types of lawyers).

AN ATTORNEY?

To become an attorney, you first need to complete your theoretical legal training (i.e. your LLB degree). You can then do your articles (a form of internship) with a practicing attorney for a specific period of time. Once you finish your articles, you need to write a Board Exam. If you pass, you can apply to the High Court to be admitted as an attorney.

An attorney can specialize as a conveyor, patent attorney, litigator, and more. They can, in certain circumstances, represent clients in a court of law. While all attorneys can be referred to as lawyers, all lawyers are not necessarily attorneys.

AN ADVOCATE?

An advocate is a specialist lawyer who represents clients in a court of law. Unlike an attorney, an advocate does not deal directly with the client – the attorney refers the client to an advocate when the situation requires it.To become an advocate, one has to become a member of the General Council of the Bar.

According to Oxford Dictionary descriptions,An Advocate:

I). A person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.

II). A person who puts a case on someone else's behalf.

III). A professional pleader in a court of justice. Scottish and South African term for barrister

IV). Represent a client in the court of law

V). Speak on behalf of a client

VI). Plead their case.

A PARALEGAL?

A paralegal works in a legal office, and is generally responsible for performing certain legal work on behalf of a lawyer or attorney. Paralegals, essentially, are legal assistants.

A paralegal can do work such as:

• 1.Interviewing clients
• 2.Conducting research
• 3.Drafting legal documents
• 4.Filing legal documents

A LEGAL ADMINISTRATOR?

Legal administrators are part of the legal office environment, and are responsible for the administrative duties in the office.

Legal administrators are not the same as ordinary office administrators. Becoming a legal administrator takes specific training, as the role requires working knowledge of legal practices, processes, and terminology. Some of the functions of a legal administrator might include:

• 1.Filing
• 2.Typing legal documents
• 3.Liaising with clients regarding administrative issues
• 4.Ordering office supplies
• 5.Taking minutes
• 6.Managing the lawyers’ schedules