jailhouse lawyer

[ jeyl-hous law-yer, loi-er ]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of jailhouse lawyer¹

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; Americanism

Example Sentences

A former college psychology student, Longoria fancied himself a jailhouse lawyer.

From ProPublica