It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the British (former) colonies.
[1] In India, the Vidhan Parishad is another name for the Legislative Council in those states with bicameral legislatures.
In American English, the term "legislative council" has acquired a slightly different meaning since the 1930s.
It refers to a joint committee with members from both houses of the state legislature, which supervises a staff of attorneys, accountants, and researchers charged with providing strictly nonpartisan support services to the legislature or to particular committees.
Legislative councils operating under that name exist in the states of Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.