What’s Up Doc?

Lawyers are in the business of giving legal advice, not medical advice. After all, they’re not doctors. Or are they?

In the US, we’re used to referring to medical doctors as “doctors.” We’re also used to calling PhDs (Doctor of Philosophy) “doctors”. But did you know that someone who graduates from law school gets their Juris Doctor degree? So what does that make them?

In 2006, the American Bar Association published an article about the fight over whether or not lawyers could refer to themselves as “doctors.” Even the Texas Bar Association issued an ethics opinion on the subject. It concluded that a lawyer with a Juris Doctor could use the title of “Doctor” so long as its use was not misleading under the circumstances.

Suffice to say, today most lawyers simply don’t refer to themselves as “doctors.”

Brazil, however, is different. It’s normal to hear a lawyer referred to as “Dr. So-and-so.”  Imagine your lawyer’s name is Michael White. In Brazil, it would be Dr. Michael. Brazilians make the relationship formal by adding the title but then use their first name to make it more casual.

It can be confusing. Imagine meeting with your Brazilian lawyer and hearing others refer to him as “Doctor” or her as “Doutora.” It’s not that they practice medicine on the side. It’s just Brazil’s way of respectfully referring to those in the legal profession.

So the next time you’re meeting with your Brazilian lawyer, try addressing them as “doctor.” They’ll appreciate the gesture.