fyi - that letter would be standard usage in the U.K. (both in 1930 and still today) when formally addressing any man, not necessarily an attorney.
P.A. = Professional Association
Right. You use it to designate a business entity, not a person.
For attorneys, it’s usually P.A. or L.L.C. (Limited Liability Corporation).
But QC’s are a teeny tiny proportion of lawyers, only granted to those of exceptional merit.
It depends on the particular state’s law. There are at least a dozen different designations commonly used. Actually the most common one in my experience is L.P., but there are many others, including L.L.P., L.L.L.P., and Chtd.
Guess I shouldn’t have dropped out of the MBA program to start a cannabis farm…
I’ve always wondered…if an attorney was knighted, would the titles cancel each other out?
(e.g. Sir John E. Dewey, Esq, just becomes John E. Dewey)
For the record, this TV commercial for Esquire wristwatches (featuring attorneys loudly introducing themselves as “[Name], Esquire!”) first aired in the mid-90s.
John E. Dewey, Esq. gets promoted to Sir John E. Dewey, Kt. The “Kt.” means he outranks any lowly “Esq.”
If he still wants to emphasize that he is a lawyer, his business card might read “John E. Dewey, Kt., LLB.” to indicate that he has a law degree.
A few years ago, I took series of depositions in the South and the court reporting company would list appearance as John Smith, Esq. and Jane Doe, Attorney.
I suspect that used to be the convention, but it’s the only time I’ve seen it.
Seems to me that it would make someone using « Esq » look wannabe.
Having a degree doesn’t make you a lawyer.
[Slight hijack]
What’s the difference between a ‘barrister’ and a ‘solicitor’?
[/Slight hijack]
Tripler
I routinely get spam emails from both. . .
True, having a degree doesn’t make you a lawyer, in that it doesn’t directly indicate that you are licensed to practice law. But, in the circumstances, it might be sufficient to indicate that you want to make clear your possession of legal expertise of some kind.
I mean, if it is a situation in which it is absolutely necessary for you to be explicit, then you would say something like “Licensed by the Bar of XXX” or something like that.
In the United States, nothing - these terms don’t exist.
In places that do draw the distinction, a barrister is a lawyer who goes to court, whereas the solicitor is your usual “transactional” attorney.
Although, in modern times, solicitors are permitted to make most court appearances. Barristers are required only for the highest courts.
An interesting point: Traditionally, the client doesn’t hire a barrister directly. The client’s solicitor hires the barrister.
I’m both. Our Law Society carries forward the distinction, but defines all lawyers as both barristers and solicitors. We use the term as an informal quick summary of a lawyer’s type of practice. My practice is mainly barrister work (which I definitely would not have predicted at law school!)