Definition

1. Noun:
   • The lawyer representing the defendant: A defense attorney is a legal professional whose duty is to advocate for and protect the legal rights of a person (the defendant) who is accused of a crime in a court of law.

Usage

• The term is used specifically in legal contexts to refer to the lawyer on the side of the accused.
• It is a formal term commonly used in court proceedings, legal documents, and news reports about criminal cases.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The judge asked the defense attorney to call his first witness.
  • Everyone has the right to a defense attorney, regardless of the charges.
  • The defense attorney presented compelling evidence of her client's innocence.

Advanced Usage

• "To retain a defense attorney": To hire or secure the services of a lawyer for one's defense.
  • He retained a prominent defense attorney to handle his case.
• "Lead defense attorney": The primary lawyer in charge of the defense team.
  • As the lead defense attorney, she was responsible for the trial strategy.

Variants and Related Words

• Defense counsel: A synonym often used interchangeably with defense attorney.
• Public defender: A specific type of defense attorney appointed by the court to represent defendants who cannot afford to hire a private lawyer.
• Defendant: The person in a legal case who is accused of a crime and is being defended.

Synonyms

• Defense lawyer: A lawyer who defends someone in a court case.
• Defender (in a legal context): One who argues in defense of another, especially in a court.

Related Phrases

• "For the defense": A phrase used to identify the legal team representing the accused.
  • The next witness will be called by counsel for the defense.
• "Mount a defense": To prepare and present a legal defense.
  • His legal team worked tirelessly to mount a strong defense.

Noun

1. the lawyer representing the defendant