Attorney and lawyer are two titles in the United States that are used interchangeably. Traditionally, a lawyer was used to describe any person that studied law. Examples of this in early history are Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. The term then became an attorney at law, before eventually being shortened to just attorney. Either way, it is used, whether an attorney or a lawyer, it is a person that practices law. To become either one of these titles, you must go to law school and be in the field for a number of years. Attorney's and lawyers are prestigious careers in the United States to have.