1. A colleague or companion.
2. A junior member of an organization or profession; esp., a lawyer in a law firm, usu. with fewer than a certain number of years in practice, who may, upon achieving the requisite se-niority, receive an offer to become a partner or shareholder. — Also termed associate attorney.
3. Hist. English law. An officer of a common-law court responsible for maintaining the court’s records, attending jury trials, and entering verdicts. • In 1894, associates’ duties were taken over by the staff of the Central Office. See CLERK OF ASSIZE; CENTRAL OFFICE.
