An attorney or, in less formal terms, an attorney-in-fact, is a professional member of the legal community who defends a client in legal court when defending or pleading guilty to a crime. In the US, private attorney applies only to a lawyer licensed by the state to practice. The word private comes from the French meaning “one appointed or constituted” and the word lawyer comes from Old French meaning “a student of law”. It therefore means a student of law.
The career of an attorney or lawyer can be started in many ways. Many people decide to start out as a paralegal or assistant to a lawyer, doing legal research and drafting documents, answering the phone, taking court assignments, assisting in various depositions and court proceedings, interviewing witnesses and so forth. Others begin their careers as teachers, law students, or hold other legal positions. Legal education involves law school, passing the bar exam, and working under the supervision of an experienced lawyer. Once you pass the bar exam and receive your license as a lawyer, then you are eligible to work privately.
Some states allow laymen to sit for the bar exam to become licensed lawyers, while others require that all lawyers pass the state bar exam. Bar Exam includes written, oral and compilatory portions. Laypeople cannot become attorneys unless they pass the bar exam. Attorneys must work under the supervision of a lawyer who has passed the bar exam in order to be allowed to practice law.