Dictionary Search: "Attorney" - Pakistan Law Portal

Attorney

1. Strictly, one who is designated to transact business for another; a legal agent. -also termed attorney-in-fact; private attorney. 2. A person who practices law; lawyer. - also termed (in sense 2) attorney-at-law; public attorney. Cf. Counsel. - abbr. Att'y. Pl. Attorneys.

Attorney fees

See attorney's fees.

Attorney general

The chief law officer of a state or of the united states, responsible for advising the government on legal matters and representing it in litigation. - abbr. Ag. Pl. Attorneys general.

Attorney general's opinion

1. An opinion furnished by the u.s. attorney general to the president or another executive official on a request concerning a question of law. 2. A written opinion by a state attorney general, usu. Given at the request of a public official, interpreting a legal provision. Attorney in charge. See lead counsel under counsel. Attorney-in-fact. see attorney (1;

Attorney malpractice.

see legal malpractice under malpractice.

Attorney of record.

the lawyer who appears for a party in a lawsuit and who is entitled to receive, on the party's behalf, all pleadings and other formal documents from the court and from other parties. - also termed counsel of record. See of record (1).

Attorney work product.

see work product

Attorney's fees

The charge to a client for services performed for the client, such as an hourly fee, a flat fee, or a contingent fee. - also spelled attorneys' fees. - also termed attorney fees. Cf. Retainer (2).

Attorney's lien.

see lien.

Attorney, power of

see power of attorney.

Attorney-at-law.

see attorney (2)

Attorney-client privilege.

see privilege (s)

Attorney-witness rule.

see lawyer-witness rule.

City attorney

An attorney employed by a city to advise it and represent it in legal matters. -Also termed municipal attorney; city counsel; corporation counsel; city solicitor.There may have been a time in this country when the function of the City Attorney of the average city consisted mainly of advising the Council, preparing an occasional ordinance or handling an infrequent lawsuit. The legal business of the average city is no longer so simple, so infrequent and so non consuming of the time of the City Attorney. Every action of the City must be justified by its legal powers, and the City Attorney is the municipal officer whose responsibility it is to decide whether any act or action is within the city's legal powers. The demands of citizens for augmented municipal services, and the resulting diversification of city operations have increased the volume of work to the point where the City Attorney, in many cities, has become a central consultant of the city off

United States Attorney

A lawyer appointed by the President to represent, under the direction of the Attorney General, the federal government in civil and criminal cases in a federal judicial district. - Also termed United States District Attorney. CE DISTRICT ATTORNEY

United States District Attorney

See UNITED STATES ATTORNEY.

attorney's fees

See ATTORNEY'S FEES.

attorney's lien

The right of an attorney to hold or retain a client's money or property (a retaining lien) or to encumber money payable to the client and possessed by the court (a charging lien) until the attorney's fees have been properly determined and paid.

attorney-client privilege

The client's right to refuse to disclose and to prevent any other person from disclosing confidential communications between the client and the attorney. - Also termed lawyer-client privilege; client's privilege. "There are a number of ways to organize the essential elements of the attorney-client privilege to provide for an orderly analysis. One of the most popular is Wigmore's schema: '(1) Where legal advice of any kind is sought (2) from a professional legal adviser in his capacity as such, (3) the communications relating to that purpose (4) made in confidence (5) by the client (6) are at his instance permanently protected (7) from disclosure by himself or by the legal adviser, (8) except the privilege be waived.' Though this organization has its virtues, there is some question as to whether it completely states the modern privilege." 24 Charles Alan Wright & Kenneth W. Graham, Jr., Federal Practice and Procedure § 5473, at 103-04 (1986) (quoting 8 John Henry Wigmore, Evidence § 2292, at 554 (John T. McNaughton rev., 1961). "At the present time it seems most realistic to portray the attorney-client privilege as supported in part by its traditional utilitarian justification, and in part by the integral role it is perceived to play in the adversary system itself. Our system of litigation casts the lawyer in the role of fighter for the party whom he represents. A strong tradition of loyalty attaches to the relationship of attorney and client, and this tradition would be outraged by routine examination of the lawyer as to the client's confidential disclosures regarding professional business. To the extent that the evidentiary privilege, then, is integrally related to an entire code of professional conduct, it is futile to envision drastic curtailment of the privilege without substantial modification of the underlying ethical system to which the privilege is merely ancillary." John W. Strong, McCormick ore Evidence $ 87, at 121-22 (4th ed. 1992).

county attorney

An attorney who represents a county in civil matters. ( In some jurisdictions, county attorneys prosecute criminal offenders.

court-appointed attorney

See assigned counsel under COUNSEL.

defense attorney

A lawyer who represents a defendant in a civil or criminal case. - Also termed defense counsel; defense lawyer.

district attorney

A public official appointed or elected to represent the state in criminal cases in a particular judicial district; PROSECUTOR (1). - Abbr. D.A. - Also termed public prosecutor; state's attorney; prosecuting attorney. Cf. UNITED STATES ATTORNEY.

durable power of attorney

A power of attorney that remains in effect during the grantor's incompetency. ( Such instruments commonly allow an agent to make healthcare decisions for a patient who has become incompetent.

general power of attorney

See POWER OF ATTORNEY.

irrevocable power of attorney

A power of attorney that the principal cannot revoke. - Also termed power of attorney coupled with an interest. See power coupled with an interest under POWER.

municipal attorney

See CITY ATTORNEY.

pardon attorney

A Justice Department lawyer who considers applications for federal pardons and forwards those of promising candidates for review by the President.

power of attorney

1 An instrument granting someone authority to act as agent or attorneyin-fact for the grantor. - Also termed letter of attorney. 2. The authority so granted. Pl. powers of attorney. See ATTORNEY (1).

power of attorney coupled with an interest

See irrevocable power of attorney.

private attorney

See ATTORNEY (1).

private-attorney-general doctrine

The equitable principle that allows the recovery of attorney's fees to a party who brings a lawsuit that benefits a significant number of people, requires private enforcement, and is important to society as a whole. private bank See BANK.

prosecuting attorney

See DISTRICT ATTORNEY.

public attorney

See ATTORNEY (2)

special attorney

See special counsel under COUNSEL.

special power of attorney

A power of attorney that limits the agent's authority to only a specified matter.

staff attorney

1 A lawyer who works for a court, usu. in a permanent position, on matters such as reviewing motions, screening docketing statements, preparing scheduling orders, and examining habeas corpus petitions. 0 Staff attorneys do not rule on motions or decide cases, but they review, research, and recommend proposed rulings to judges, as well as drafting the orders implementing those rulings. 2. An inhouse lawyer for a corporation.

state's attorney