second chair
Assistant lead counsel
Second chair refers to the supporting attorney in a trial, assisting the lead counsel who handles primary questioning and arguments.
The term comes from courtroom seating, where the lead attorney traditionally sits closest to the jury.
To second-chair a case is to serve in this supporting role: She second-chaired her first murder trial last month.
In orchestras, second chair is the musician seated next to the principal player of a section.
- deputyAuthorized substitute or assistant
- number twoDeputy or runner-up
- right hand manIndispensable chief assistant
- understudyBackup actor, ready nightly
- backupStored duplicate for recovery
assistant · subordinate · support · dentist · violin · string section · orchestra · concert hall · courtroom · trial · prosecutor · defense · lawyer · attorney · law firm · trial lawyer · courtroom drama · junior
- classical musicBach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms
- orchestraorchestra, symphony orchestra, philharmonic, strings, string orchestra
- backup rolesvice president, deputy, understudy, backup singer, reserve player
- Deputiesdeputy, lieutenant, number two, vice president, deputy director
- lawyerslawyer, attorney, defense attorney, defense counsel, counselor
- orchestra termsviolin section, bass section, trumpet section, horn section, trombone section
second chairfirst chair
Lead instrumentalist's position
principal · concertmaster · section leader · first violin · soloist
second, chair, seconds, secondly, secondary, secondarily, chairs, chaired, chairing