A lawyer talks with his client. A lawyer talks with his client. The definition of a lawyer is someone who gives legal advice and represents people in legal matters.
Until after a Supreme Court ruling in 2006 threw out a Justice Department effort to block Oregonâs law, no other state permitted assisted suicide. Washington adopted its measure in 2008. Several northern European countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, also allow assisted suicide.
Death with Dignity laws allow qualified terminally-ill adults to voluntarily request and receive a prescription medication to hasten their death. As of February 20, 2017, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington have Death with Dignity statutes. In Montana, physician-assisted dying is legal by State Supreme Court ruling. Information in this section has been adopted from an End of Life Washington handout.