What is the history behind lawyers’ signs saying “Attorney at Law.” What else would an attorney be “at” these days?
Cecil has a question/answer on the difference between lawyer and attorney, which pretty much doesn’t exist now. However, in the past an attorney was someone who was empowered to act on behalf of someone else.
Maybe the answer is all attorneys didn’t necessarily act in legal matters even though that meaning of “attorney” seems to have disappeared in favor of “agent.”