These words all designate persons who have had legal training and are qualified to practise law. Lawyer is the general term for anyone versed in the law and duly admitted to practice. Lawyers conduct lawsuits, advise clients of their legal rights and obligations, and may act on behalf of clients or plead for them in court. Attorney is often used as a synonym for lawyer in a general sense. In its strictest sense it denotes an agent (who is not necessarily a lawyer) empowered to act in a legal capacity for another person: While she was living in Europe, her brother had power of attorney over her property.

A qualified lawyer who is "called to the Bar" is known as a barrister . He is competent to conduct court cases and, as a specialist in one of the branches of the law, is called upon for technical legal opinions and advice. A solicitor is similarly qualified but is "admitted as a Solicitor ." Solicitors can conduct court cases but the majority do not often do so. In general, a solicitor advises and assists clients in the ordering of their affairs, and, when required, he prepares the material to be used by a barrister in the conduct of a court case.

Counsel is a general term applied to barristers . But counsel may consist of one lawyer only or of a legal staff working as a unit to advise a client or to conduct a case in court: After consulting with counsel , the defendant changed his plea. Advocate is used of a trial lawyer in Scotland and France. Elsewhere this term is rare except in judge advocate and other military usages.