在美式和英式英语中，"lawyer"都可泛指为受过专业法律训练的咨询人员。
在美式英语中，正式的谈话或文件可以用 "attorney"这个词。
英式英语中以处理书面法律文件为主的律师称为 "solicitor"，而需要代表客户出庭应讯的律师在英格兰称为 "barrister"， 在苏格兰称为 "advocate"。代表客户出庭应讯的律师，不论英美都可用 "counselor" 这个词，所以大家常常可以在美国的一些法庭剧中，听到法官称律师为 "counselor"。
Lawyer is a general term for a person who is qualified to advise people about the law, to prepare legal documents for them and/or to represent them in a court of law.
In England and Wales, a lawyer who is qualified to speak in the higher courts of law is called a barrister. In Scotland a barrister is called an advocate.
In AmE attorney is a more formal word used for a lawyer and is used especially in job titles: district attorney.
Counsel is the formal legal word used for a lawyer who is representing someone in court: counsel for the prosecution.
Solicitor is the BrE term for a lawyer who gives legal advice and prepares documents, for example when you are buying a house, and sometimes has the right to speak in a court of law.
In AmE solicitor is only used in the titles of some lawyers who work for the government: Solicitor General
知识背景：英国的律师可以分为很多种类，在不同的司法领域内发挥着不同的作用。英国的律师职业可以分为两个分支：出庭律师和事务律师。同时有一些初级律师作为司法行政人员协助事务律师的工作。传统意义上讲，事务律师的职责是充当当事人、出庭律师和第三者之间的联络人，处理日常法律事务，只能在基层法院代表当事人出庭；出庭律师则有资格享有在高等法院，包括高级法院、刑事法院、上诉法院及上议院出庭发言的权利。实际上随着律师业的专业化，虽然两者仍然有区别，但有相互融合的趋势。他们分属于不同的行业协会，事务律师属于事务律师协会，出庭律师属于出庭律师协会。另外，检察官是检察院雇佣的出庭律师或事务律师承担起诉任务，法官一般是从出庭律师和事务律师中选拔任命的。
