Attorneys in the United States are practitioners in a court of law who are legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court on the retainer of clients. Strictly speaking, an attorney is one who acts on behalf of another person in some capacity. An attorney-at-law, or lawyer, is a person trained and licensed by a relevant jurisdiction to practice law by representing clients in legal matters and giving legal advice. In the United States, the term attorney generally refers to this meaning. Almost all U.S. jurisdictions require successful completion of a bar exam to be licensed as an attorney.
Once admitted to practice by the highest court of a state (a function sometimes administered by the state's bar association), an American attorney may file legal pleadings and argue cases in any state court (federal courts usually require separate admission), provide legal advice to clients, and draft important legal documents such as wills, trusts, deeds, and contracts. Often, lawyers brief a court in writing on the issues in a case before the issues can be orally argued. They may have to perform extensive research into relevant facts and law while drafting legal papers and preparing for oral argument.
Working as a lawyer involves the practical application of abstract legal theories and knowledge to solve specific individualized problems, or to advance the interests of those who retain lawyers to perform legal services. Practicing law includes interviewing a client to identify the legal question, analyzing the question, researching relevant law, devising legal solutions to problems, and executing such solutions. In many countries, only lawyers have the legal authority to do drafting of wills, trusts, and any other documents that ensure the efficient disposition of a person's property after death.
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 45th-largest in the United States. With an estimated population of 382,872 in 2006, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city serves as the county seat of Tulsa County, the most densely populated county in Oklahoma. For most of the 20th century, the city held the nickname "Oil Capital of the World" and played a major role as one of the most important hubs for the American oil industry.
Much of Tulsa's convention space is located in downtown, such as the Tulsa Performing Arts Center and the Tulsa Convention Center, and beginning in 2008, the BOK Center. Prominent downtown sub-districts include the Blue Dome District, the Brady Arts district, and the Greenwood Historical District. The Tulsa International Airport (TUL) and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, the nation's most inland seaport, connect the region with international trade and transportation.
Tulsa has 14 institutions of higher education, including two private universities: the University of Tulsa, and Oral Roberts University. Rogers State University is the Tulsa area's only public four-year university. The Tulsa State Fair, operating in late September and early October, attracts over one million people during its 10 day run, and the city's Oktoberfest celebration was named one of the top 10 in the world by USA Today, and one of the top German food festivals in the nation by Bon Appetit magazine.