Law clerk
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A law clerk, judicial clerk, or judicial assistant is a person, often a lawyer, who provides direct counsel and assistance to a lawyer or judge by researching issues and drafting legal opinions for cases before the court. Judicial clerks often play significant roles in the formation of case law through their influence upon judges' decisions. Judicial clerks should not be confused with legal clerks, court clerks, or courtroom deputies who only provide secretarial and administrative support to attorneys and/or judges.
Israel Supreme Court justices and their law clerks pose on the roof of the old supreme court building at the Russian Compound in Jerusalem
Supreme Court Justice Byron White previously served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson. Current Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch served as law clerk to Justice White.
Lawyer
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A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly, across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, solicitor, legal executive, and public servant. — with each role having different functions and privileges. Working as a lawyer generally involves the practical application of abstract legal theories and knowledge to solve specific problems. Some lawyers also work primarily in advancing the interests of the law and legal profession.
Helena Normanton in English court dress, c. 1950
Law Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia)
Clara Shortridge Foltz, admitted to the California Bar through an examination before attending law school
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is a famous example of a lawyer who became a politician.