Attorney at Law or Lawyer?

Legal support of business

Entrepreneurial activity is inextricably linked with compliance with the laws governing all branches of business. Non-compliance with the requirements of regulations leads to unpleasant consequences, both for the business itself and for its leaders. And given the frequency of changes made to regulatory documents, the need for the participation of a qualified specialist with legal knowledge becomes a necessity for business. In this regard, most entrepreneurs prefer to seek help in resolving their legal issues from qualified professionals who have not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical experience. However, choosing a qualified and experienced specialist is not easy and most important, it is not always clear who is needed specifically in a given situation: Attorney at Law or Lawyer?

Not every person providing legal services is a lawyer. At the same time, a lawyer is a person who has received a legal education, in fact, is a specialist in law. It is also important to note that a judge, an attorney at law, and a notary, all of these specialists are also lawyers, specialists who have received legal education and have relevant experience and have passed the relevant exams.

A lawyer is always a lawyer, but not every lawyer is a lawyer. Advocacy is regulated by Federal Law No. 63-FZ of May 31, 2002 “On Advocacy and Advocacy in the Russian Federation”, according to which an advocate is a person who, in accordance with the procedure established by the Federal Law, has received the status of an advocate and the right to practice advocacy. The attorney at law or Lawyer is an independent professional legal adviser.

The status of an attorney at law in the Russian Federation is entitled to be acquired by a person who has a higher legal education obtained in accordance with an educational program that has state accreditation, or an academic degree in a legal specialty. The specified person must also have at least two years of work experience in the legal profession or complete an internship in a lawyer's education from one to two years.

So the lawyer:

1. Has a secondary or higher legal education. Additional advanced training is not required.
2. May not have work experience.
3. Typically employed under an employment contract with an organization or may be registered as a sole trader or self-employed person and provide legal services in person.
4. Cannot act as a defense attorney in criminal cases.

Attorney at Law:

1. Has a higher legal education. He is obliged to constantly improve his knowledge independently and improve his professional level.
2. Work experience and a qualifying exam are required to qualify as a barrister.
3. Activities are regulated by a special law.
4. Not entitled to enter into labor relations as an employee, with the exception of scientific, teaching and other creative activities, as well as to hold public office in the Russian Federation, public office in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, civil service positions and municipal positions. Advocacy is not entrepreneurial.
5. Member of the Bar Association.
6. Acts as a defender of a suspect or defendant in criminal cases.
7. Obliged to keep attorney-client privilege. At the same time, a lawyer cannot be summoned and interrogated as a witness about the circumstances that became known to him in connection with applying to him for legal assistance or in connection with its provision.

There are a large number of distinctive characteristics of a lawyer and a lawyer, but it is important to understand that, in fact, any graduate of an educational institution who has graduated from the Faculty of Law and in most cases does not have work experience and legal practice becomes a lawyer. At the same time, it is important to understand that in order for a lawyer to become a lawyer, he needs to gain experience in legal work and pass a qualifying exam, which improves the quality of such a specialist and the level of services provided by him will be much higher than that of a simple lawyer.

It is often erroneously believed that a lawyer defends only in criminal cases, but this is far from the case. A lawyer can represent interests in civil, family, and administrative cases, as well as draw up a variety of legal documents necessary for formalizing certain relationships, as well as represent the interests of both individuals and legal entities.

Most people prefer not to understand all the intricacies of the current legislation on their own and turn to specialists for help. The choice of whom to turn to for legal assistance always remains with the customer of the legal service, but it is worth remembering that the result of the rendered legal service and, in the event of a trial, the court decision depends on the qualifications of the chosen specialist.

Legal services

1. Qualified legal assistance on various legal issues
2. Legal advice to clients
3. Preparation and preparation of documents necessary for the client: statements of claim, petitions, appeals, complaints, local documents of the company, etc.
4. Representation of clients in various authorities, organizations and institutions