Word of the Day

: May 26, 2009

Philadelphia lawyer

noun fill-uh-DELL-fee-uh-LAW-yer

What It Means

: a lawyer knowledgeable in the most minute aspects of the law

Philadelphia lawyer in Context

When they realized that their broker had cozened them to gain fatter commissions, Brad and Julia quickly hired a team of Philadelphia lawyers to comb through their financial contracts and file a lawsuit.

Did You Know?

The reputation of the Philadelphia lawyer dates back to the colonial period, when our legal system was in its infancy and lawyers had to be especially astute. Many noted attorneys seem to have hailed from early Philadelphia, and probably no single lawyer is the source of the term, but several have been suggested. Although not strictly a lawyer, Benjamin Franklin is sometimes claimed to have inspired the expression through his cunning in diplomatic negotiations with the British and French. Another possible source is the Scottish-American Philadelphia attorney Andrew Hamilton, who famously got newspaper publisher John Peter Zenger acquitted of libel charges in 1735, paving the way for the principle of freedom of the press in the process.