A lawyer or legal advocate in France and Belgium; a member of the legal profession who pleads cases in court.
From French avoué, derived from Old French avouer, from Latin advocatus (past participle of advocare, 'to call upon'). The term entered English from French legal terminology, referring specifically to solicitors and advocates in civil law countries.
In French and Belgian courts, an 'avoué' is distinct from an 'avocat'—they have different roles and privileges. It's a reminder that legal systems around the world developed different job titles for different tasks, and those words reveal how each legal culture organized itself.
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