Capitalization rules can be hard to understand and remembering the rules for certain words can also be challenging.
Is the Word Lawyer Capitalized?
Normally, the word “lawyer” is not capitalized in a sentence unless it is being used in a title, is part of a proper noun, or is the first word in a sentence.
However, it is capitalized when used as part of a name or precedes a name since it becomes a proper noun. An example of this is”Please excuse Lawyer Smith” because in this case, it becomes part of the proper noun.
The same goes for any related words to a lawyer such as “Esquire,” “Justice,” “Attorney,” “Judge,” etc.
More examples include:
- Lawyer Rudy Giuliani was asked to speak.
- Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh would like to comment.
If “Esquire” or “Juris Doctor (JD)” are used after a name, the first letter of the words are capitalized and a comma is added after the name. For example:
- Thomas Dean, Esquire
- Thomas Dean, Esq.
- Tomas Dean, Juris Doctor (JD)
