[legalxml-courtfiling] Preliminary List of "Roles"

I agree with Roger's observations about titles but I am less sure about roles.
I think they are proceeding-relative and not necessarily work-related.
For example, I once had a sitting judge as a hostile witness in a case.
In title he was a judge.
In his role in most proceedings, he was the judge.
In our case he had the title Judge but role of fact witness only.
Some additions to the list administrativeOfficer (of an agency)

Add: Executive Director - party (in a case) - a person, organization, or In Rem "thing" that is a party in a case Add: Real Party in Interest - attorney (for a party) - a person authorized to represent a party in a case Add: County Attorney and Deputy County Attorney Add: Legal Defender John Messing 3900 E. Broadway Blvd., Suite 201
Tucson, AZ 85711 (520)547-7933 (v) (520)547-7920 (f)  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I hope these observations help in the discussion.
I also wonder whether this issue has been resolved by another technical committee in some other specification developed for another purpose.
I think the difference between "title" and "role" can be clarified by recognizing that titles are usually officially-assigned labels, where roles are usually functions or perhaps relationships.
I think of a title as something a person receives, e.g., "Doctor" for one who has the appropriate degree and license, "Judge" for the judicial officer with the decision-making authority, "Clerk of Court" for the elected or appointed clerk.
Sometimes a title might become an element in the person's name, i.e., used as a <NamePrefix> or something like that.
There is a certain formality in assigning a title understood in this sense.
It would be a much looser practice, I think, to designate someone "Juror Smith," or "Rodeo Clown Winters," as though formal titles; more likely, the reference would be to "Smith, the juror," or "Winters, the rodeo clown."
Rather than being titles, those designations are roles because they are functions for the person.
On getting a title, one tends to keep it.
An "Attorney at Law" was admitted to the bar and styles herself as such unless and until disbarred.
The "Judge" is perhaps separated from the decision making authority upon retirement, but the title is generally retained as a matter of respect.
It still makes sense to me to call that a title.
Beyond this, I think, are roles or attributes.
To specify the person's role and relationship may require some root terms with attributes for the variations in detail.
For example, being a "district attorney" is a role that can be defined as "representing state authority in law cases."
The Chief District Attorney might have that title, but also has the role <prosecutor> (I'm just guessing what the terms ultimately settled on might be).
Lower in the hierarchy, someone is also a "district attorney" in terms of the role assigned, but that might be modified by an attribute of "assistant" or "associate" or "civil" or "criminal."
This is what makes sense to me as a user of words.
Since I am not a programmer nor XML master, I can't say whether that carries over.
My 2-cents (adjusted for inflation).
Roger Roger Winters Electronic Court Records Manager King County Department of Judicial Administration 516 Third Avenue, E-609 MS: KCC-JA-0609 Seattle, Washington 98104 V: (206) 296-7838 F: (206) 296-0906