Qld The Profession: What Do Lawyers Do? Revised

Counsel {Ans: Another term for a barrister; someone doing advocacy work in a court or tribunal}Senior Counsel (Queen's Counsel) {Ans: An experienced barrister appointed to senior rank (said to have 'taken silk')}Chambers {Ans: The traditional name for the building a barrister works from. Barristers usually share premises and secretarial support}Divided Profession {Ans: Where there are two separate types of practitioners, admitted as either barristers or solicitors, but not both (traditionally the case in England, and formerly in some Australian states such as NSW and QLD)}Solicitor {Ans: The legal practitioner who represents the parties in a transaction, interviews the client, gives legal advice, maintains files, prepares legal documents, briefs, barristers and handles trust funds on behalf of clients. Solicitors can practise alone, in partnership, or as companies}Barrister {Ans: A lawyer who is a member of a bar association, accepts briefs from solicitors to represent clients in courts and tribunals, and writes formal opinions about legal issues, but does not typically maintain files or trust accounts for clients}