Mecenas is a conventional courtesy title in modern Polish used to address individuals performing legal professions or authorized to represent others in court.
The term "Mecenas" likely evolved from "procuratores mercenarii," with the first part and the "r" sound in the second word being eliminated.
[1] Nowadays, it is also used for professionals in newer legal fields, such as tax advisors (a profession created in 1996), patent attorneys (established in 2001), restructuring advisors (created in 2016 with amendments to the Civil Procedure Code, Art.
[3] The title may also be used for law graduates, even without completing the training program, though this practice is rarer.
[2] In 2014, the Press Office of the National Bar Council of Advocates urged that the title "Mecenas" be reserved only for advocates and legal counselors,[4] but this had no effect on the practices of the media and legal community.