How did the profession of a lawyer originate and what is their history? As a first generation Greek American, I have been accustomed to making fun loving statements like “The Greeks invented that!†They were often made in gest…whether they did or not.  The history of Greece is so rich and evident in our every day life, and much of our society was rooted in Greek culture.  You may know that modern day medical terms are mostly all Greek and Latin in origin.  Hippacrotes, a Greek physician, is considered the father of Western Medicine.  The Greeks began a system of government called Demokratia, which means “Rule by the Peopleâ€.  This is commonly known as Democracy. And let us not forget about Pythagoras or even the Olympics.  Sound familiar?

The Lawyer

In the case of the lawyer, well, the Greeks invented that too.  In actuality, the lawyer is traced back to Ancient Athens and Ancient Rome.  The first lawyers were orators in Athens, who used to address the people to plead their case. There were no professional lawyers. Later, people would often ask a friend if they could plead their cases for them.  However, the friend was not allowed to be paid and it was not quite organized as a profession.  

The Profession

In Ancient Rome, these “friends†would later be for hire and the Romans required that they were learned in the law.  They could practice openly but were unregulated. By the time of the Byzantine Empire in 330 AD, lawyers were heavily regulated and well established.  By the 1700’s, the American Colonies had adopted the English common law and judicial procedures had become much more formal. Lawyers were powerful local leaders. In fact, almost half of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence…were in fact lawyers.  

The history of the lawyer as a profession is very rich and interesting, but this is just a very brief outline of the evolution of the lawyer.  As a Greek lawyer I can honestly conclude…It’s all Greek to me!