We have all heard of lawyers.  Many of our parents, or the parents of friends or classmates, are lawyers.  Yet, we don't know what a lawyer is or what a lawyer does.  As the title suggests, a lawyer is one who works at the law. A lawyer advises people about what the law allows us to do and what it does not.   A lawyer also acts as an advocate for his or her clients. Clients are the people for whom a lawyer works. There are many laws.  Laws are necessary so that all of the people who live in this country and this city can live together with as little trouble and conflict as possible; laws are passed to make our communities better places to live in.  However, many of the laws are difficult to understand.  Lawyers go to school to learn how to understand those laws and then advise people on how to act in their personal lives and business lives without violating any of the laws.
        When a person does something that brings him or her into contact with the government a lawyer is usually needed to advise that person on the law.  For instance, when a person buys a house, there are laws that tell him or her what must be done to properly register the ownership so that someone else cannot try to claim that they own that house.  Most people don't know how to do this, so they hire lawyers to help them.  In many other fields a lawyer can be a good advisor to people who deal with the law.
        A lawyer also works as an advocate for people.  An advocate is a person who takes another person's side and argues for that person.  For instance, if a woman falls and is hurt because another person was careless, the woman who fell can have a lawyer be her advocate and argue why she should be paid for any loss due to her injuries.  At the same time, the person that she claims was careless can also have a lawyer argue that the woman should collect only for her loss and no more.  Lawyers also represent people accused of committing crimes to ensure that the right to a fair trial is given that person and they represent business people who have disagreements.
        There are many other things that lawyers do, but advise and advocate are the main things.

HARRY'S MOTHER AND FATHER ARE LAWYERS
        Harry went to work with his father who works in a building downtown.  He went on the train with his father and rode over the bridge from which he could see the wide river and the harbor.  When they got off the train, they joined the crowd of people in suits and dresses that crowded into the narrow city blocks.
        Only a short distance from the train station, Harry and his father went through a revolving door into the lobby of a large building.  The lobby was white marble and ceilings so high that the train could have gone through the lobby without any trouble at all.  At the end of the lobby, they got into an elevator with a bunch of other people.  At each floor that the elevator stopped, a bell rang.  Ten bells above the lobby, Harry and his father got off on the eleventh floor.
       Outside the elevator was a desk behind which sat Anna.  Harry's father introduced Harry who shook Anna's hand.  Anna said that his grip was strong and rubbed her hand to make the point.  Harry's father said that he was growing fast and was strong for his age.  Anna smiled.  Harry was proud.  His father then walked down a hall and went into his office.
        Harry had not seen his father's office before.  It had great windows that looked out on the street far below and into the windows of offices across the street where men and women sat at desks.  While Harry watched, his father made telephone calls to clients and signed letters.
        Harry's father then met with a client who came to his office.  The client was an elderly man who wanted to sign his will.  When he'd gone, Harry asked what a will is.  His father explained that a will is a paper that a person makes out so that after the person dies, his or her property can be divided as the person wants.  Harry asked if the client was going to die.  His father said that he was not going to die immediately but we all die someday and it is wise to prepare.  However, young boys and girls need not think about that at present.
        Harry and his father then went to the court.  The court was a large building near the office of Harry's father.  It had many steps in front and high columns at their top.  Great  wooden doors were between the columns.  Harry and his father walked up the many steps and between the columns.  Then they went through the doors and were inside the courthouse.
        They took an elevator to a high floor where they entered a large room with pews like in church.  In the front of the room was a high table behind which a judge sat.  The judge wore a black robe over his clothes.  The high table is called a bench, Harry's father told him.  A clerk called some names that Harry did not recognize and his father went up to the bench with another man and spoke to the judge.  After a few minutes, he returned and he and Harry left the courthouse.
        Harry asked what had been said to the judge and his father told him that there was a disagreement between himself and the other lawyer.  They went to the judge to have him decide which of them was right.  The judge had done that.  Harry was surprised because he thought that disagreements were always argued loudly as in the school yard or the ball field.  But his father said no; there are ways of dealing with disagreements in a quiet, peaceful manner. That's what lawyers do.
        Harry smiled and was happy to know what lawyers do, because his father is a lawyer, as is his mother.  Harry and his father took the train back home after that.  But first they stopped for ice cream.  Harry's father loves strawberry ice cream.

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