Lawyer

A lawyer (also known as an attorney, advocate, counsel, legal counsel, or litigator) was a legal expert who represented the interests of a person or group, for example, in a court of law. They also defended or prosecuted in Starfleet court martial cases. ()

Lawyers serving in Starfleet could be assigned to the office of the Judge Advocate General. (; )

On Earth after World War III, lawyers were, for a time, abolished by execution. () However, in the Federation, lawyers existed in the 23rd and 24th centuries.

Jean-Luc Picard, while involved in an arbitration regarding the Contract of Ardra, noted that his reputation as a litigator was at stake, as well as his "immortal soul". ()

"Conservator" was the Cardassian equivalent of a criminal defense lawyer, although his role was actually not to acquit the accused but rather to prepare the accused to acknowledge and confess the crime(s) charged. The accused was also advised by a Nestor, who was an officer of, but not allowed to address, the Cardassian court. ()

"Legal intercessor" was a possible Romulan equivalent of a lawyer. ()

The Klingons termed their equivalent defending lawyers "Advocates". (; ; )

After Kay Eaton disagreed with her husband Julius' idea on what to do with Benny Russell's Deep Space Nine story, Herbert Rossoff told her "You tell him, Kay. I know a good divorce lawyer if you need one." ()

In a detective novel studied by Data, Benny Fortenstein was a lawyer in New York City. ()

After he was arrested by Odo for smuggling kemacite, Quark told Rom to get him a lawyer. Rom suggested that he would contact  for one. ()

Starfleet officers of Commander rank or above could be called upon to serve as attorneys on an ad hoc basis in situations where no other legal staff was available or in matters involving personnel under their command. (, , )

Law practitioners

Cardassian 
 Kovat – conservator representing Miles O'Brien in 2370. ()
 Odo – nestor representing Miles O'Brien in 2370. ()

Human 
 Samuel T. Cogley – defense counsel for James T. Kirk (and later, Benjamin Finney) in 2267. ()
 Areel Shaw – prosecuted James T. Kirk in 2267. ()
 Phillipa Louvois – prosecuted Jean-Luc Picard concerning the loss of the  in 2355; presided over a hearing to determine Data's legal rights in 2365. ()
 Jean-Luc Picard – defense counsel for Data in 2365; arbitration counsel on behalf of the Ventaxian people in 2367. ()
 William T. Riker – prosecuted Data on behalf of Bruce Maddox in 2365; defense counsel for Simon Tarses in 2367. ()
 Benjamin Sisko – defense counsel for Jadzia Dax in 2369, and Worf in 2372. ()
 Kathryn Janeway – represented The Doctor in 2377. ()

Klingon 
 Ch'Pok – prosecuted Worf in 2372. ()
  – defended Jonathan Archer in 2152. ()
  – prosecuted Jonathan Archer in 2152. ()
  – defended James T. Kirk and Leonard McCoy in 2293. ()
  – prosecuted James T. Kirk and Leonard McCoy in 2293. ()

Vulcan 
 Tuvok – represented Quinn's political asylum bid in 2372. ()

Appendices

See also 
 Solicitor

Background information 
According to Melinda Snodgrass, Gene Roddenberry initially objected to the story for  because of Roddenberry's insistence that lawyers would be redundant by the time of . Snodgrass recalled, "[A]ccording to Gene there were no lawyers in the 24th century because if people had criminal intentions they 'had their minds made right'. I found that chilling. I also pointed out that you have contracts that have to be negotiated and conflicts of law between different legal systems, and divorces, etc. etc. There was no way there would be no lawyers in the future."

External links 
 
 

de:Rechtsanwalt
Legal occupations