English Reference
Idiom idiom

legal beagle


A lawyer, specifically one regarded as astute and skilful.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

You should hire that legal beagle to help with your contract.

CONTEXTUAL

When the company faced a difficult lawsuit, they hired a top legal beagle to represent them in court.

COMPLEX

The firm assigned their most formidable legal beagle to the case, ensuring that every complex regulation was navigated with absolute precision.


disputed origin

From legal + beagle. Beagle was probably chosen for the rhyme and because beagles were traditionally used for hunting hares or rabbits, due to their keen sense of smell and tracking instinct. Compare legal eagle.


Related idioms1entry
  1. 01

    legal duty

    A duty prescribed by the law, to act or forbear from acting.

Last updated August 10, 2026