A barrister is a lawyer or legal advisor who specializes in criminal law. On behalf of his clients, he presents cases in court. He also counsels solicitors, who are lawyers who meet with individual clients. The main distinction between the two is that a barrister typically works in court and on court-related matters, whereas a solicitor typically does not argue in court and instead meets with clients and handles out-of-court legal needs.
In countries with British-style court systems, the term barrister is commonly used. Attorneys in the United Kingdom, for example, are divided into two categories: barristers and solicitors. Both are highly trained, but only one goes to court to plead cases in the traditional sense. There is no distinction between attorneys in the United States and countries with similar court systems. Any lawyer can do both jobs: argue in court and consult with and advise clients.
Barristers argue court cases in front of judges in the hopes of obtaining favorable outcomes for their clients. On behalf of his clients, a solicitor selects a barrister and meets with him to discuss the case. The barrister usually researches the relevant laws in the case. In order to figure out how to win current cases, he also develops strategies for winning cases and researches verdicts handed down in similar cases.
A barrister frequently advises solicitors who want to learn more about the law of the court. A barrister’s knowledge of such laws and previous verdicts is typically more in-depth or specialized than that of a solicitor. A solicitor, on the other hand, usually gives instructions on how to represent or speak for a specific client in court.
The lines between the two types of legal professionals and the tasks they can perform have blurred in some places. Solicitors can argue cases in court in some countries. Similarly, barristers can meet with members of the public to provide advice.
In situations where clients require legal advice from a barrister and where direct contact is permitted, a solicitor may still play a role in the interaction. In this situation, a client would typically ask his lawyer to contact a barrister and set up a meeting. In-person meetings for this purpose may be held in either a legal professional’s office or in the client’s office. However, in some cases, it may be more practical and effective for the two professionals to meet without the client present.