Philadelphia lawyer

noun

1. a lawyer of outstanding ability at exploiting legal fine points and technicalities.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Philadelphia lawyer¹

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90

Idioms and Phrases

A shrewd attorney, adept at dealing with legal technicalities, as in It would take a Philadelphia lawyer to get him off . This expression dates from the late 1700s and, as lexicographer Richard H. Thornton observed: “Why members of the Philadelphia bar should be credited with superhuman sagacity has never been satisfactorily explained.”

Example Sentences

Then one day, a Philadelphia lawyer named Bradley Bridge traveled to the upstate Pennsylvania prison where Drinks was locked up, and explained to him and the other men who had been given life sentences as boys what the ruling could mean for them.

From Seattle Times

In New York, for example, one firm led by Philadelphia lawyer Michael van der Veen is guaranteed $25,000 per month from the president’s PAC for work on New York legal cases, according to an agreement reviewed by The Post.

From Washington Post

Shanin Specter, a Philadelphia lawyer and son of the late Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, said in an interview some voters might regard one debate as insufficient.

From New York Times

“The real professionals know it’s going to be very tough,” Shanin Specter, a Philadelphia lawyer and son of Senator Arlen Specter, said.

From New York Times

Jim Schultz, a Philadelphia lawyer who served in Trump’s White House, published an opinion piece on Monday in support of Shapiro.

From Reuters