Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica
SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • History & Society
  • Science & Tech
  • Biographies
  • Animals & Nature
  • Geography & Travel
  • Arts & Culture
  • ProCon
  • Money
  • Games & Quizzes
  • Videos
  • On This Day
  • One Good Fact
  • Dictionary
  • New Articles
History & Society
  • Lifestyles & Social Issues
  • Philosophy & Religion
  • Politics, Law & Government
  • World History
Science & Tech
  • Health & Medicine
  • Science
  • Technology
Biographies
  • Browse Biographies
Animals & Nature
  • Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
  • Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
  • Environment
  • Fossils & Geologic Time
  • Mammals
  • Plants
Geography & Travel
  • Geography & Travel
Arts & Culture
  • Entertainment & Pop Culture
  • Literature
  • Sports & Recreation
  • Visual Arts
  • Companions
  • Demystified
  • Image Galleries
  • Lists
  • Podcasts
  • Spotlight
  • Summaries
  • Top Questions
  • #WTFact
  • Britannica Kids
Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
legal profession
Table of Contents
  • Introduction
  • History
    • Classical beginnings
    • Medieval Europe
    • England after the Conquest
    • Worldwide legal profession
  • Characteristics of the profession
    • Social role
    • Private practice
    • Public-directed practice
    • Teaching and scholarship
  • Autonomy and control
    • The bench’s independence
    • The bar’s independence
    • Regulation by statutes and bar associations
    • The situation in developing countries
  • Contemporary trends
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Lee Kuan Yew William Blackstone
Discover
Illustration for Demystified "How Dangerous is Quicksand"
How Deadly Is Quicksand?
Shadow of a man holding large knife in his hand inside of some dark, spooky buiding
7 of History's Most Notorious Serial Killers
Portrait of a mountain gorilla at a short distance. gorilla close up portrait.The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)
Falling Stars: 10 of the Most Famous Endangered Species
Figure 13: A Maxim machine gun, belt-fed and water-cooled, operated by German infantrymen, World War I.
7 Deadliest Weapons in History
Dancers at a Cinco de Mayo festival at the Mission District, San Francisco, California. (Photo dated 2019.) holidays
Is Cinco de Mayo Mexico's Independence Day?
Internet http://www blue screen. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, media news television, crowd opinion protest, In the News 2009, breaking news
Who Invented the Internet?
Gutzon Borglum. Presidents. Sculpture. National park. George Washington. Thomas Jefferson. Theodore Roosevelt. Abraham Lincoln. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota.
9 Memorials and Monuments in the United States
Home Politics, Law & Government Law, Crime & Punishment

legal profession: Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
Facebook X
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/legal-profession
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Utah judge to decide whether convicted killer with dementia can be executed • May 7, 2025, 11:03 PM ET (NBC)
Colin Russell obituary • May 7, 2025, 6:40 AM ET (The Guardian)
In Suits and Ties, Lawyers Protest Trump’s Attacks on the Legal System • May 2, 2025, 5:59 AM ET (New York Times)

Photos

Lee Kuan Yew
William Blackstone
See All Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics
attorneymagistratejudgelawyernotaryattorney generalassessoradvocaterecorderproctorlegal educationlegal ethicsbar associationprivileged communicationdisbarmentproperty lawprocedural lawinheritanceconstitutional lawinternational law

History at your fingertips – Sign up here to see what happened On This Day, every day in your inbox!
By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Click here to view our Privacy Notice. Easy unsubscribe links are provided in every email.
Thank you for subscribing!
Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.
Stay Connected
Facebook X YouTube Instagram

  • About Us & Legal Info
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Equal Opportunity
©2025 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.