IANAL is a
Usenet
Usenet () is a worldwide distributed discussion system available on computers. It was developed from the general-purpose Unix-to-Unix Copy (UUCP) dial-up network architecture. Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979, and it was ...
and
chat abbreviation (
initialism
An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...
) for the expansion "I am not a lawyer".
The expansion may be used by non-lawyers who are seeking to avoid accusations of
unauthorized practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the profes ...
and are not making any recommendation to the particular addressee of their remarks.
A related abbreviation, TINLA, stands for "This is not legal advice". One or both of these expansions often precede opinions about
law.
The use of these expansions serves as a warning for the reader not to take the opinion as professional legal advice. Many jurisdictions have legal restrictions on actually giving or even appearing to give legal advice, or otherwise practicing as a
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solici ...
without legal qualifications and official registration. Rendition of legal advice by a person who is not licensed to do so can be the basis for a charge of unauthorized practice of law.
Origin and usage
The term appears to be inspired by a 1980s commercial for
Vicks Formula 44 cough syrup, in which two spokesmen successively pitched the
over-the-counter medication with the line: "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV."
The spokesmen were soap opera actors
Chris Robinson (who played Dr.
Rick Webber on ''General Hospital'') and
Peter Bergman (who played Dr.
Cliff Warner on ''All My Children'').
The transfer from ''doctor'' to ''lawyer'' is an example of a
snowclone
A snowclone is a cliché and phrasal template that can be used and recognized in multiple variants. The term was coined as a neologism in 2004, derived from Journalese, journalistic clichés that referred to the number of Inuit words for snow.
...
.
The term IANAL is reported to have been common on Usenet by the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The
case law
Case law, also used interchangeably with common law, is law that is based on precedents, that is the judicial decisions from previous cases, rather than law based on constitutions, statutes, or regulations. Case law uses the detailed facts of a ...
standard for determining what comments cross the line is generally "the application of law to facts specific to an individual seeking legal advice". Attorneys may use a disclaimer to reduce confusion, and "I am not your lawyer" is part of a typical disclaimer. There are "weighty obligations" that go along with the creation of a lawyer–client relationship, particularly if an "online exchange includes legal advice relating to the client's specific facts". Courts have held that (in the case of
900 numbers)
boilerplate disclaimers without clear actions to indicate assent may not avoid the creation of a lawyer–client relationship.
Variations of IANAL can be applied to different fields, such as IANAMD for "I am not a
medical doctor
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the ...
" or IANAP for "I am not a
physicist
A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe.
Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate ca ...
"
These expansions serve the same general purpose as IANALto discourage the use of the information as professional advice.
See also
*
Jargon File
The Jargon File is a glossary and usage dictionary of slang used by computer programmers. The original Jargon File was a collection of terms from technical cultures such as the MIT AI Lab, the Stanford AI Lab (SAIL) and others of the old ARPANE ...
, a glossary of computer programmer slang
References
External Links
IANALat The Jaron File (catb.org)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ianal
Internet slang
Legal ethics
Initialisms
de:Liste von Abkürzungen (Netzjargon)#I