Attorneys Law & Legal Definition

An attorney at law is an officer in a court of justice, who is employed by a party in a cause to manage the same for him. The principal duties of an attorney are:

1. To be true to the court and to his client;
2. To manage the business of his client with care, skill and integrity;
3. To keep his client informed as to the state of his business;
4. To keep his secrets confided to him as such.

Attorneys are bound by a code of ethics, such as being prohibited from representing parties with conflicting interests. For a violation of his duties, an attorney may be subject to a lawsuit, in some cases, he may be punished by an attachment. His rights are, to be justly compensated for his services.

Attorneys who argue cases before a judge are advocating in their client's best interests, and as such, are not neutral parties, but advocates for one side of an issue. However, at trial, the language used in questioning a witness should not amount to testimony by the attorney.

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