In the United States, the terms “lawyer” and “attorney” are often used interchangeably. For this reason, people might wonder, “are an attorney and a lawyer the same thing?”

Though in everyday speech these terms might refer to the same person, there are distinctions that law students should be aware of.Like the distinction between the definition of lawyer vs. attorney, the differences between the roles and duties of the two professions are important to understand. Both are formally trained and educated in law, but how someone uses their education and training is often a key difference between attorney and lawyer. 

Though a lawyer is someone who has completed law school and passed the bar exam, you don’t have to practice law in court to be considered a lawyer. Lawyers may take on roles as consultants or advisors. Many choose to practice in a specialized field such as estate law, immigration law, or tax law, where they give legal advice to clients. 

As an attorney, you practice law in court. Passing the bar exam is a requirement for an attorney, giving them the right to practice law in a specific jurisdiction. Attorneys are required to abide by a code of ethics and may practice in both civil and criminal courts.Attorney vs. lawyer vs. counsel: what are the differences?

Attorneys, lawyers, and counsel have all been educated and trained in law. As explained above, attorneys must pass the bar exam and practice law in court. Lawyers have also taken the bar exam, and may or may not practice law. Counsels provide legal advice, and often work for an organization or corporation. The terms are often used interchangeably in everyday speech, despite the differences in meaning.Esq. stands for Esquire and is an honorary title that typically signifies someone has both completed law school and passed the bar exam. There is some disagreement among states regarding the requirements for each title.