Lawyers
A lawyer is someone trained in aspects of law and the legal system usually providing legal advice; also known by the title attorney, advisor or advocate. As advocates, lawyers can represent one of the parties in criminal and civil trials by presenting evidence and arguing in court to support their client; they can all appear in court but many choose not to whilst others spend most of their time in the courtroom. Not every situation requires representation and quite often they are employed as legal advisors; they counsel their clients concerning their legal rights and obligations and suggest particular courses of action in business and personal matters.
Those who specialize in courtroom procedure are called trial lawyers; this is an area that requires the advocate to be quick thinking and a competent speaker.Trial lawyers are extremely competent individuals who are just as proficient outside the courtroom; they investigate the case they are representing, talk to witnesses and arranging evidence, for example.
It is difficult to get away from the law in any of its aspects; whether buying a home to crossing the street, lawyers hold positions of great responsibility and are obliged to follow a strict code of ethics. Owing to the nature of specialization with legal representatives, they may never actually attend court; although they are licensed to represent their clients there.
For almost every area of society there is a specialist branch of the legal system; such as:
*Probate *Aviation Law *Environmental Issues *Divorce Law, *Identification Theft
Considering the number of legal representatives there are, it is surprising just how many will never be required to attend a court of law!
The environment also as a branch of law where they might act on behalf of the government, private citizens or companies; a few examples are listed here:
*Construction Firms *Federal Agencies *Land Developers
It is not all glamour though as much of the work involves resolving land disputes, planning licenses and land administration; although they may also be called upon to challenge or defend other civil actions.
Intellectual property rights is one of the newer branches of law that attorneys are involved in; designed to protect products from theft and copyright primarily in the field of digital media like computer programs. Major insurance companies usually employ lawyers in their legal department; they investigate the legality of insurance transactions, writing insurance policies to conform with the law and protect companies from false claims.
The vast majority of attorneys work within the private sector where they can devote their energies to either criminal or civil law; criminal lawyers represent people charged with crimes whether for defense or prosecution; whereas civil law deals with civil disputes, usually between two parties.
Where there are high profile cases that may affect the public, or be in their interest, other legal specialists operate; these usually involve disputes or claims against governments or large corporations. Still other lawyers use their skills working for non-profit organizations and other charitable bodies; this type of work is more about helping those are not able to have legal representation any other way.