Main Difference
The main difference between Lawyer and Advocate is that the Lawyer is a legal professional who helps clients and represents them in a court of law and Advocate is a profession.
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Lawyer
A lawyer or attorney is a person who practices law, as an advocate, attorney, attorney at law, barrister, barrister-at-law, bar-at-law, counsel, counselor, counsellor, counselor at law, or solicitor, but not as a paralegal or charter executive secretary. Working as a lawyer involves the practical application of abstract legal theories and knowledge to solve specific individualized problems, or to advance the interests of those who hire lawyers to perform legal services.
The role of the lawyer varies greatly across legal jurisdictions, and so it can be treated here in only the most general terms.
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Advocate
An advocate in this sense is a professional in the field of law. Different countries’ legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law-based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, in Scottish, South African, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Scandinavian, Polish, South Asian and South American jurisdictions, advocate indicates a lawyer of superior classification.
“Advocate” is in some languages an honorific for lawyers, such as “Adv. Sir Alberico Gentili”. “Advocate” also has the everyday meaning of speaking out to help someone else, such as patient advocacy or the support expected from an elected politician; those senses are not covered by this article.
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Lawyer (noun)
A professional person qualified (as by a law degree and/or bar exam) and authorized to practice law, i.e. conduct lawsuits and/or give legal advice.
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Lawyer (noun)
By extension, a legal layman who argues points of law.
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Lawyer (noun)
The burbot
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Lawyer (verb)
To practice law.
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Lawyer (verb)
To perform, or attempt to perform, the work of a lawyer.
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Lawyer (verb)
To make legalistic arguments.
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Lawyer (verb)
To barrage (a person) with questions in order to get them to admit something.
“You’ve been lawyered!”
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Advocate (noun)
Someone whose job is to speak for someone’s case in a court of law; a counsel. from 14th c.
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Advocate (noun)
Anyone who argues the case of another; an intercessor. from 14th c.
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Advocate (noun)
A person who speaks in support of something. from 18th c.
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Advocate (noun)
A person who supports others to make their voices heard, or ideally for them to speak up for themselves.
“”Since she started working with her advocate, she has become much more confident.”
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Advocate (verb)
To plead in favour of; to defend by argument, before a tribunal or the public; to support, vindicate, or recommend publicly.
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Advocate (verb)
To encourage support for something.
“I like trees, but I do not advocate living in them.”
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Advocate (verb)
To engage in advocacy.
“We have been advocating for changes in immigration law.”