Bar

Definition	:	Body of lawyers
Category	:	Associations & Organizations » Professional Associations
Country/Region	:	Worldwide
Popularity	:
Type	:	Word

What does Bar mean?

A bar association is a professional body of lawyers.
The term "bar" in "bar association" refers to the legal profession and is believed to have originated from the custom of lawyers standing at a "bar" in a courtroom to address the judge and present their arguments. This "bar" was a physical barrier separating the lawyers from the rest of the courtroom, and it symbolized the separation between the legal profession and the general public.

The bar or railing separates the general spectator area of the courtroom from the area reserved for judges, attorneys, Juries, and court officials. Over time, the term "bar" came to be used as a general term to refer to the legal profession as a whole, and the term "bar association" was used to refer to organizations of lawyers.