noun
devil
A junior lawyer assisting a more experienced lawyer.
In the Scottish legal memoir, a young devil assists the advocate.
Etymology
Devil developed occupational uses for a subordinate doing another person’s labor. In legal practice, it came to name a junior who assists a senior, continuing the image of an underling carrying out demanding work.
More examples
- The senior lawyer reviewed the devil's draft.
- Two devils helped prepare the case.
- She spent the year as a devil before practicing independently.
Forms
devil · devils