The bar can refer to the legal professional membership in your area and can also be the railing which separates courtroom observers from the judge, lawyers and other personnel.
What Does BAR Mean When Talking About Attorneys?
A “Bar” is typically an association or a group of lawyers; and these associations often manage their members. When you hear that a lawyer has “passed the bar”, this is the bar exam and may also mean that the attorney has passed from an observer in a courtroom to a participant… passing the “bar”.
- American Bar Association
- State Bar
- Federal Bar Association (if a federal crime)
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
These are some legal terms you may hear but not know what they mean:
- Affidavit : A sworn statement of fact or a form of evidence
- Arraignment : You are brought before the court to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty
- Bail : Where you are released from jail by making a payment to the court/department upon promise of returning to court
- Defendant : You. The person who is accused in a criminal case or being sued
- Disposition : The final outcome of a criminal or civil case
- Docket : The court’s daily schedule of court cases
- Habeas Corpus : This is a request for the court to release a person who has been unlawfully imprisoned
- Injunction : This is a court order that tells a person not to do something
- Plaintiff : The person or group which sues in a lawsuit
- Remand : A postponement of criminal proceedings
- Subpoena : A notice which tells a person to appear at court to give testimony
- Summons : A notice which a person to appear in court
- Warrant : A warrant is an order from the court allowing a search of your property or for your arrest
A fantastic site to search for lawyer information can be found at AVVO or the American Bar Association website: https://www.americanbar.org/directories/bar-associations.html
If you have any further questions about your lawyer and if he is a member of the local or state “Bar”, you can easily find the Bar Association they may be associated with by doing a simple online search.