# legal beagle

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/legal-beagle
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A lawyer, specifically one regarded as astute and skilful.

## Examples

- You should hire that legal beagle to help with your contract.
- When the company faced a difficult lawsuit, they hired a top legal beagle to represent them in court.
- The firm assigned their most formidable legal beagle to the case, ensuring that every complex regulation was navigated with absolute precision.

## 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. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.