Editing Lawyer (section)

===Oral Arguments in a Courtroom===
[[File: New York Court of Appeals hearing oral arguments.jpg|thumb|Oral arguments being made before the [[New York Court of Appeals]]|alt=|250x250px]]
Some lawyers, particularly barristers and advocates, argue the legal cases of clients case before a [[judge]] or [[jury]] in a court of law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://austbar.asn.au/for-the-community/what-is-a-barrister|title=What is a Barrister?|access-date=2020-04-06|archive-date=2020-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303163323/https://austbar.asn.au/for-the-community/what-is-a-barrister|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Hazard, 30–32.</ref> 

In some jurisdictions, there are specialist lawyers who have exclusive rights of audience before a court.<ref>Richard L. Abel, ''The Legal Profession in England and Wales'' ([[London]]: [[Basil Blackwell]], 1989), 116.</ref> In others, particularly fused legal jurisdictions, there are lawyers who specialize in courtroom advocacy but who do not have a [[legal monopoly]] over the profession.

In some countries, litigants have the option of arguing on their own behalf.<ref>See, e.g., [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/ccp/116.510-116.570.html Cal. Code. Civ. Proc. § 116.530] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809145958/http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/ccp/116.510-116.570.html |date=2009-08-09 }} (preventing attorneys from appearing in small claims court except as parties or witnesses).</ref> In other countries, like Venezuela, no one may appear before a judge unless represented by a lawyer.<ref>Rogelio Pérez-Perdomo, "The Venezuelan Legal Profession: Lawyers in an Inegalitarian Society", in ''Lawyers in Society: The Civil Law World'', vol. 2, eds. Richard L. Abel and Philip S.C. Lewis, 380–399 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988), 387.</ref> The advantage of the latter regime is that lawyers are familiar with the court's customs and procedures, making the legal system more efficient for all involved. Unrepresented parties often damage their own credibility or slow the court down as a result of their inexperience.<ref>Gordon Kent, "Lawyerless Litigants: Is Justice Being Served?" ''[[Edmonton Journal]]'', 27 January 2002, A1.</ref><ref>Alan Feuer, "Lawyering by Laymen: More Litigants Are Taking a Do-It-Yourself Tack", ''[[The New York Times]]'', 22 January 2001, B1.</ref>