A lot of times, people use the terms “lawyer” and “attorney” interchangeably. And for casual conversation, that works just fine. However, there is a technical difference between both terms. In fact, the difference is more than just semantics and can be professional.
The confusion is justified, there are a lot of similarities between these roles and differences that the general public may not be aware of.
A lawyer and an attorney may have the same education and same specialization. However, their roles can be remarkably different.
The education for these roles must come from a university or institution accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). The law school doesn’t necessarily have to be in the state where a person intends to practice law.
Once a student completes law school, they receive a “Juris Doctor” (JD) degree. This is why several lawyers add “J.D.” at the end of their signature. While attorneys receive the same degree, they prefer to use the term “attorney at law.”
Generally speaking, an attorney must have completed and passed the bar exam for the state of their intended practice. Additionally, attorneys have a good standing with the bar and have paid their fees or dues to signify their membership of the relevant bar association.
An attorney can give legal advice and represent a client in a court of law.
A lawyer can give legal advice, but cannot represent a client in a court of law.
Some other differences may also exist, although these can vary by state. A good example of this is CLE, or Continuing Legal Education. All states (or rather, state bar associations) require attorneys to continue their legal education as a way to maintain their license.
An attorney must complete a minimum amount of hours yearly towards CLE credits to maintain their license. The idea is to stay current on developments in the field.
For example, in Oklahoma, an attorney must have at least 12 Oklahoma MCLE approved credits during a calendar year. At least 2 of these credits must be for legal ethics.