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jailhouse lawyer

American  
[jeyl-hous law-yer, loi-er] / ˈdʒeɪlˌhaʊs ˈlɔ yər, ˈlɔɪ ər /

noun

  1. a prisoner who has studied law on their own while serving time, is knowledgeable about technical legal matters, and gives legal advice, especially to fellow prisoners.

Etymology

Origin of jailhouse lawyer

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30;

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.