Often, lawyers brief a court in writing on the issues in a case before the issues can be orally argued. They may have to perform capacious research into relevant facts and Seattle CPA law while drafting fair papers and preparing for oral argument.
In England, a solicitor gets the facts of the case from the client and briefs a barrister in writing. The barrister then researches, drafts, and files the decisive court pleadings, and orally argues the case.