A law attorney is a practicing lawyer who has passed a bar exam. Anybody who has studied law is referred to as a lawyer in the United States, even if they do not go ahead with taking examination for the bar which is geared towards the attorney’s specific area of expertise and interest. Law AttorneysAttorney at law is the official name that’s used in the United States, Japan, South Africa and Sri Lanka for qualified and practicing lawyers. Some areas of Canada also use the term attorney to distinguish law practitioners.LawyersIn the United States once a person has passed graduate school in law has been educated in law and can carry out some jobs within law practices like the preparation of supporting legal documents, however this person will not be able to represent clients in court.Becoming a Law AttorneyOnce a person has passed through law school they can opt to practice the profession of law and take jobs within attorneys’ offices. Basic lawyer duties are then allocated to potential law attorneys who will carry out all the standard jobs of lawyers until passing the bar exam to achieve the relevant qualification to act as a law attorney within that specific jurisdiction.Duties of AttorneysAs well as representing their clients in court, attorneys can act as the legal representative of a client and perform all the duties of lawyers. Different legislation affects the working practices of attorneys across the globe, so an attorney in the United States will be subject to US law and state legislation, while attorneys in countries like Japan and Sri Lanka have to follow the laws and procedures set out in their own countries. An attorney at law is qualified legally to either prosecute or defend cases in the courts and to be retained by clients for these purposes.