1.

Introduction Regarding Blacks Law Dictionary, which is the most important dictionary used in the United States, a lawyer could be defined as a person slanted in the law who is practicing it. The figure of the lawyer, already recognized in ancient Rome, has been envolving until our days. However, the role of a current lawyer is slightly different to the functions performed by them in ancient times. But despite of being different all of them have the most important thing in common since both find their main role in providing legal advice. The advocatus was people who stood out mainly for his oratory and their high social position. They exercised their functions freely, but in general they were rewarded with gifts called honorarium. In the future, the Emperor Nero will impose the payment of these taxes as a duty. From Justinian new lawyers associations will appear whose members were the only ones who could litigate before the courts. In the ancient ages, we should mention the remarkable labour of Quintilian and Cicero. Nowadays, a lawyer is a graduated or law doctor that exercise professionally the direction and defense of parties in all kinds of processes, or legal council or advice. 2.Functions Currently, a lawyer is a qualificated professional for the professional practice because of having an academic degree and authoritazion of a professional school especializated on it. His work includes providing advice and legar representation of his client in a court or outside it. Extrajudicially (out of the court) , without the case has come to the justice, there is, without trial; can provide advice for exemple, on the legal consequences of starting a court case concerning the appropiateness of certain contract, about the kind of recomendated commercial socity, etc.

Without doubts, the most important task of the lawyer is the ones that develops within a judicial preoceedin; wheter civil, commercial, labor, criminal or administrative; because it is of public interest and there is an absolute necessity the existance of a law knowledgeable to advise of the interests. Such is his importance and necessity that in case a party could not afford for a private lawyer, it will be provided by the State. The lawyer is not part of the process but a judicial officer that must to act in defense of his client but without forgetting the search of the justice. Of course a law can not lie, nor advise of unlawful behavior but he should argue in defense of his client the laws, doctrine and jurisprudence most in favor. An important point is that a lawyer can act as as proxy of his client on a court, on his behalf or like his qualified representative (letrado patrocinante) signing juridical writtings with his client.