Today an attorney is a sworn officer of the court, and by his own admission, as that officer, his duty is to impose the will of the state against the citizen.
AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION

What is a Lawyer?
by Glen Stoll

Just as a sawyer is one whose profession is engaging the use of a saw, a lawyer is one who professes and puts into practice a specific employment of law.

In England, only some lawyers are called Advocates." Others are called "solicitors," still others "barristers," "counselors," "mediators," and yes, even "attorneys." These are not terms referring to just any lawyer, they are specific titles used to designate the type of lawyer they are and how they practice law.

Advocates and solicitors have a very similar roll, but on the opposite side of any given dispute. While a solicitor is one who presents a case on behalf of an accuser, otherwise known as the plaintiff, an advocate provides argument for the defendant.

The barrister holds a specific position of trust beyond the area where even other lawyers are barred from entry. "Crossing the bar" means far more than just walking over to a different place in the room. It is the act of placing yourself under the jurisdictional authority of the court whose bar you've crossed. The BAR stands for British Accredited Registry.

A mediator's job is to facilitate an agreement between opposing sides. Counselors, on the other hand, primarily do just what their title indicates, counseling. To obtain "assistance of Counsel," therefore, is not the same as being represented by an attorney. So, what is an attorney?

Notice that the word for each title clearly identifies its unique characteristic:

Solicitor = one who solicits a cause of action
Advocate = one who advocates for the accused
Barrister = one who goes where others are barred from entry
Mediator = one who mediates between two parties
Counselor = one who provides counsel from a given perspective
Attorney = one who attorns or engages in attornment