solicitor

solicitor
solicitorship, n.
/seuh lis"i teuhr/, n.
1. a person who solicits.
2. a person whose business it is to solicit business, trade, etc.
3. an officer having charge of the legal business of a city, town, etc.
4. (in England and Wales) a member of that branch of the legal profession whose services consist of advising clients, representing them before the lower courts, and preparing cases for barristers to try in the higher courts. Cf. barrister (def. 1).
[1375-1425; late ME solicitour < AF; MF soliciteur. See SOLICIT, -OR2]
Syn. 4. lawyer, attorney, counselor.

* * *

British lawyer who advises clients, represents them in the lower courts, and prepares cases for barristers to try in higher courts.

The education required of a solicitor includes a law school course and five years of apprenticeship with a practicing solicitor. In the U.S. the solicitor general represents the federal government in court, especially the Supreme Court of the United States.

* * *

▪ British lawyer
      one of the two types of practicing lawyers in England, the other being the barrister, who pleads cases before the court. The solicitors carry on most of the office work in law. In general, a barrister undertakes no work except through a solicitor, who prepares and delivers the client's instructions to a barrister. Solicitors confer with clients, give advice, draft documents, conduct negotiations, prepare cases for trial, and retain barristers for advice on special matters or for advocacy before the higher courts. They have a right to act in all courts as the agents for litigation or representatives of their clients, and they are deemed officers of the court, but they may appear as advocates only in the lower courts. Since their activities make up the greater part of the work of lawyers, solicitors are many times more numerous than barristers.

      The education required of a solicitor includes a law school course. A most important feature, however, is service under articles (apprenticeship) with a practicing solicitor for a period of five years (three years for university graduates). Solicitors must be British Commonwealth citizens, although there is no such requirement for the barrister.

      The official organization of solicitors is the Law Society, a voluntary group, incorporated by Parliament. The Law Society has extensive authority in setting and enforcing standards for solicitors. Its rules prescribe how money held for a client or in trust is to be kept and to be shown on books of account, which must be certified each year. The society maintains a client-compensation fund to reduce and relieve losses sustained from dishonesty by solicitors. A solicitor, unlike a barrister, may sue for his fees. See also barrister; Inns of Court.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Solicitor — ist in den drei Rechtssystemen des Vereinigten Königreichs (dem englischen, das auch Wales umfasst, dem schottischen und dem nordirischen) sowie in der Republik Irland und einigen australischen Bundesstaaten die Bezeichnung für einen der beiden… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • solicitor — so·lic·i·tor /sə li sə tər/ n 1: one that solicits; esp: an agent that solicits customers (as in insurance) or charitable contributions 2: a British lawyer who advises clients, represents them in the lower courts, and prepares cases for… …   Law dictionary

  • solicitor — ● solicitor nom masculin (mot anglais) Homme de loi britannique. (Ses fonctions l apparentent à l avoué et au notaire français.) ⇒SOLICITOR, subst. masc. DR. [En Grande Bretagne] Homme de loi aux compétences différentes de celles de l attorney,… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • solicitor — so‧lic‧i‧tor [səˈlɪstə ǁ ər] noun [countable] JOBS LAW a type of lawyer in Britain who gives advice, does the necessary work when property is bought and sold, and can defend people in the lower courts: • The matter is being dealt with by my… …   Financial and business terms

  • Solicitor — So*lic it*or, n. [F. solliciteur, L. sollicitator.] 1. One who solicits. [1913 Webster] 2. (Law) (a) An attorney or advocate; one who represents another in court; formerly, in English practice, the professional designation of a person admitted to …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Solicitor —   [sə lɪsɪtə; englisch, zu lateinisch sollicitare »veranlassen«] der, s/ s, in Großbritannien, Irland und Teilen Australiens der Anwalt, der nur vor niederen Gerichten auftreten darf. Hauptaufgabe ist die Beratung in allen Rechtsangelegenheiten… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Solicitor — (engl., spr. ßollißitör), Anwalt, Sachwalter, Parteivertreter, im Gegensatz zum Counsel (Rechtsbeistand, Advokat, s. Attorney und Counsel); S. general (spr. dschénnerel), Sachwalter der Krone in England neben dem Attorney general …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Solicitor — (engl., spr. ßollíssit r), Anwalt, Parteivertreter (Gegensatz Barrister, s.d.); S. general (spr. dschénneräll), der zweite der engl. Kronanwälte (s. Attorney) …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • solicitor — early 15c., one who urges, from M.Fr. soliciteur, from soliciter (see SOLICIT (Cf. solicit)). Meaning one who conducts matters on behalf of another is from early 15c. As a name for a specific class of legal practitioners in Britain, it is… …   Etymology dictionary

  • solicitor — *lawyer, attorney, counselor, barrister, counsel, advocate …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • solicitor — ► NOUN 1) Brit. a lawyer qualified to deal with conveyancing, draw up wills, advise clients and instruct barristers, and represent clients in lower courts. Compare with BARRISTER(Cf. ↑barrister). 2) N. Amer. the chief law officer of a city, town …   English terms dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”