jailhouse lawyer
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of jailhouse lawyer
An Americanism dating back to 1925–30;
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I didn’t know they were supposed to do a declaration until I got with a jailhouse lawyer and he told me what they were supposed to do,” Spikes said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2023
Wilson while in prison has graduated from the University of Oregon, volunteered in the prison hospice and served as a jailhouse lawyer for other inmates and a mentor to juvenile offenders.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 24, 2020
Cleary, impressed by Rayborn’s habeas corpus filings on behalf of other prisoners, helped him get grant money to be paid as a jailhouse lawyer.
From New York Times ● Oct. 16, 2018
He became what is known as a jailhouse lawyer, helping other inmates with their cases.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 22, 2017
His first big victory as a jailhouse lawyer came on behalf of Julio Acevedo, in 1997.
From The New Yorker ● Jun. 13, 2016
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
