A lawyer is a person who is trained in the law and practices law as a profession. Lawyers are also referred to as attorneys or solicitors depending on their geographic location.

In common parlance, the term lawyer has come to mean a person who provides legal advice and representation for clients, whether in litigation or otherwise, but not necessarily by engaging in the practice of law in its formal sense. This article focuses on the formal meaning of “lawyer”, i.e., one who gives legal advice to clients and represents their interests under the adversarial system of justice in court settings or before other tribunals (such as administrative agencies).

The role of the barrister is central to that of an advocate: they are employed by barristers’ chambers; they help with casework (the research and drafting involved); they negotiate fees with solicitors; they represent clients at hearings; they may appear before judges at preliminary hearings (known as directions hearings) or preliminary hearings if the judge feels there might be sufficient grounds for further investigation into whether there should be charges brought against someone else(known by some lawyers as ‘pre-trial reviews’). Barristers work closely together with solicitors at this stage because both professions play an important role when presenting evidence and submissions during hearings.