byAlma Abell

It is accurate to say that all attorneys are also lawyers. However, it would not be so accurate for one to say that all lawyers are also attorneys. Every day you probably see a commercial on television advertising an Attorney in Des Moines. You may hear someone talking about how they have to meet with their Attorney in Des Moines. Attorney and lawyer are two words that people use interchangeably without even giving it much thought. However, they actually mean two different things.

What Is A Lawyer?

A lawyer is defined as an individual who’s educated in the law. This does not necessarily mean that they are an individual who gives legal advice. It just means that they are qualified to do so. In the United States, a lawyer is defined as anyone who graduated law school. This just means, that by definition, you could carry the title lawyer without actually being able to get a job as one until you pass the bar exam.

What Is An Attorney?

Attorneys are also known as lawyers. This is an individual who has also graduated from law school. However, they have also taken the necessary steps required to practice law as a professional. In order to claim the title attorney, you have to actually take and pass the bar exam to get your license.

When you look at the difference between what a lawyer is and what an attorney is, it is almost an insult to call your attorney a lawyer because they graduated from law school as a lawyer and then they went on to become an attorney. The attorneys at law firms such as Neifert, Byrne & Ozga, P.C. are never going to correct you when you call them a lawyer instead of an attorney. That does not, however, mean they will not appreciate it more if you make the effort to call them an attorney instead. It is important to keep in mind that just because someone claims to be a lawyer instead of an attorney it does not mean you should not consider them to be as valuable as a legal representative or anything. A lot of people, lawyers and attorneys included, do not really know or care about the difference between these two titles.