Counsel vs. Council

Do not confuse counsel with council. Counsel means a legal advisor. In the U.K., the term is used for barristers appearing in court; in the U.S., it is used for office practioners such as general counsel, as well as litigators. Note that the plural of general counsel is general counsel, not general counsels

Council, however, denotes a deliberative body or assembly. For example, a city council.

A counsellor is one who gives advice – often but not always legal, but a councillor is a member of a council.