In both British and American English, lawyer is a general term for someone who is qualified in law and represents people in legal matters. American lawyers can prepare cases and can also represent their clients in court. Another American word commonly used for lawyer is attorney. In Britain, a solicitor prepares legal documents such as wills and contracts, and also prepares cases that are heard in court. Solicitors can also represent their clients, especially in lower courts. In higher courts, the argument for each side is usually presented by a barrister. In Scotland, a barrister is usually called an advocate.

lawyer在英国英语和美国英语中均为律师的通称。美国的lawyer既可准备案件材料，又可代表当事人出庭。美语中表示lawyer的另一个常用词是attorney。在英国，solicitor指既可准备遗书、合同等法律文件，也可准备用于法庭聆讯的案件材料的事务律师；solicitor亦可代表当事人出庭，尤其是在低等法院中。在高等法院中，控辩双方的律师通常称作barrister。而在苏格兰，barrister通常被称为advocate。