Ashlee Difuntorum was recently featured in HuffPost discussing the distinction between a lawyer and an attorney amid questions surrounding former White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia’s legal credentials.
Following Zacharia’s first White House press briefing, which drew criticism from political observers, questions emerged about whether she had passed a U.S. bar exam and was licensed to practice law. Although President Donald Trump described Zacharia as an attorney when announcing her appointment, her legal qualifications came under scrutiny given her background as a graduate of Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law and her reported legal work experience.
“Colloquially, the words are often used interchangeably,” Ashlee tells HuffPost. “But technically, ‘lawyer’ is a broader term that refers to someone trained in the law, whereas ‘attorney’ refers to someone who is licensed to practice law.”
Ashlee continues to explain what law school graduates can do without a license to practice, noting that a law degree can lead to careers across a variety of industries. “But they cannot practice law in any state without a license,” she says, explaining that unlicensed graduates generally cannot provide individualized legal advice, represent clients in court or draft legal documents for others as a legal service. She highlights alternative career paths, including lobbying, regulatory compliance, academia, journalism and legal research and writing.
