Note to non-lawyers: the term is "precedent" not "precedence"

[onenote]

And the plural is "precedents".

Precedence and precedent are not synonyms and it is the latter that is used in legal writing to describe a case or decision that guides or controls the outcome of a subsequent case.

I know its nit-picky, but it (along with "loose" when the writer means "lose&quot is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

[Blue_Tires]

1. Want to know my "nails on a chalkboard?"

People who use "lawyer" and "attorney" interchangeably

[Rex]

2. As someone that is that dumb, what is the difference?

See this is one reason why I love this place. Learn something new every day.

[dballance]

3. Thanks for the post. I'm totally guilty (joke intended) of using them interchangably.

I found this googling about lawyer vs. attorney:

http://www.lawyeredu.org/attorney-vs-lawyer.html

What Qualifies Someone as a Lawyer?

A lawyer is someone who is learned and trained in law. Yet, they may not actually practice law. They often give legal advice. By attending law school in the United States, one can be considered a lawyer. A student of law must pass the bar exam in their particular jurisdiction in order to practice law by providing legal representation. Otherwise, the opportunities to use their law education are limited.

What Qualifies Someone as an Attorney?

An attorney at law or attorney-at-law is typically abbreviated to attorney in everyday conversation. An attorney is considered the official name for a lawyer in the United States. The first known use of the term attorney-at-law was in 1768.

An attorney-at-law is defined as a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court on the retainer of clients. The English word attorney has French origins, meaning “a person acting for another as an agent or deputy.” An attorney actually practices law in court whereas a lawyer may or may not. An attorney has passed the bar exam and has been approved to practice law in his jurisdiction.


more at link.

Does it explain the difference adequately?

On Edit:

So does this mean that all attorneys are lawyers but not all lawyers are attorneys?

Also, it must mean I should refer to any and all of the people pleading cases before a court as an attorney. Yes?

[Rex]

4. Thanks that explains it.

Great stuff for us trivia junkies.