Law firm

A law firm is an organization of lawyers that provides legal advice and representation to clients, typically operating as a partnership or other business entity.

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Attorney–client privilege: A legal protection that generally prevents confidential communications between a lawyer and client from being disclosed. Confidential client communications are central to the advice law firms provide.
Corporate law: The law governing corporations, their formation, financing, governance, and transactions. Corporate teams advise businesses on governance, investment, mergers, and other transactions.
In-house counsel: Lawyers employed by an organization to advise that organization on legal matters. Unlike outside firms, in-house counsel work within and primarily serve one organization.
Big Law: The large, highly structured law firms that serve major corporations and institutions, especially in the United States. Large firms illustrate the scale, specialization, and high-fee end of private practice.
Legal ethics: The professional principles and rules governing lawyers’ conduct. Ethics rules set boundaries for a firm’s representation, confidentiality, and conflicts management.
Litigation: The process of resolving disputes through courts or related formal procedures. Litigation teams represent clients in lawsuits and other court proceedings.
Public defender: A government-funded lawyer or office that represents people unable to afford criminal defense counsel. Public defenders provide publicly funded criminal representation rather than private-firm services.
Cravath System: A law-firm employment model built around recruiting top graduates, intensive training, and promotion from within. This model shaped associate training and partnership pathways at many large firms.
Partnership: A business structure in which two or more people jointly own and operate an enterprise. Many law firms use partnership to share ownership, management, and profits.
Criminal defense lawyer: A lawyer who represents people or organizations accused of criminal offenses. Criminal defense is a distinct practice that firms may offer to accused clients.