WHAT DOES AN ATTORNEY DO?

A man or woman practicing law in the United States is called an "Attorney and Counselor at Law", but most frequently these professionals are called, "lawyers ". The noun "Lawyering" is the descriptive word of choice (by those in the profession) for what an attorney does.

The primary functions of an attorney are advising clients on matters of legal precedent and acting on behalf of a client in representing him or her in matters of the law. Lawyers make drafts of legal documents such as deeds, contracts and wills. They also provide legal counsel in real estate matters.

An attorney interviews the prospective client, renders services for a fee, learns about the client's situation, identifies what legal ramifications there are for services, performs research to investigate how best to advise or represent the client, and provides competent advise or legal representation in a court of law. Attorneys also spend many hours doing research in libraries and on legal internet sites.

There is no distinction between levels or types of law that can be practiced in the United States but there are areas of preference or specialty in which attorneys provide services. Where an attorney carves out his or her niche in terms of the types of cases he or she takes on would be considered their area of expertise. There are many different types of attorneys: Bankruptcy, personal injury, malpractice, real estate, family, employment, insurance, patent, and small business, are just a few of the areas attorneys in which practice.