25/09/2026
My lord, I am Holding Brief for…” What does that even Mean?
You are sitting in court.
Your lawyer's name is called.
Then another lawyer stands up and says:
“My Lord, I am holding brief for counsel.”
You look around like:
“Wait who is holding who?” 😂😂
Let me explain.
When a lawyer says “I am holding brief for Mr. Sugar,” it generally means that the lawyer who was originally handling the matter is not personally appearing that day, and another lawyer is appearing on their behalf.
Think of it like this
Your regular lawyer has a matter in Court.
Unfortunately, he cannot appear that particular day.
So he asks another lawyer:
“Please, help me appear in this matter today.”
That lawyer goes to court and tells the judge:
“My Lord, I am holding brief for counsel.”
In simple English:
“The lawyer handling this case asked me to stand in for him today.”
But here is something important
Holding brief does not necessarily mean the lawyer has taken over the entire case. The lawyer holding brief may only be appearing for that particular proceeding or doing whatever has been properly instructed for that day.
For example:
Your lawyer is handling your case. The matter comes up for mention. Your lawyer cannot make it. Another lawyer appears and says:
“My Lord, I am holding brief for learned counsel.”
The matter can proceed in accordance with what that lawyer is authorized to do.
So please, the next time you hear:
“I am holding brief for…”
Don't start thinking:
“So the other lawyer has resigned?” 😂
No.
It simply means another lawyer is appearing in the matter on behalf of the lawyer who ordinarily handles it.
And yes, lawyers have their own language.
Mention.
Hearing.
Holding brief.
Adjournment.
Judgment reserved.
If nobody explains these words to you, you can sit in court for two hours and leave more confused than when you came. 😂
I hope the next time you hear “I am holding brief,” you will know exactly what is happening.
©️Legal Talk with Confidence Aribibia
I remain your favorite Lawyer💕
Confidence Aribibia