The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Consultation \Con`sul*ta"tion\, n. [L. consultatio: cf. F.
   consultation.]
   1. The act of consulting or conferring; deliberation of two
      or more persons on some matter, with a view to a decision.
      [1913 Webster]

            Thus they doubtful consultations dark
            Ended.                                --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A council or conference, as of physicians, held to
      consider a special case, or of lawyers restained in a
      cause.
      [1913 Webster]

   Writ of consultation (Law), a writ by which a cause,
      improperly removed by prohibition from one court to
      another, is returned to the court from which it came; --
      so called because the judges, on consultation, find the
      prohibition ill-founded.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

consultation
    n 1: a conference (usually with someone important); "he had a
         consultation with the judge"; "he requested an audience
         with the king" [syn: consultation, audience,
         interview]
    2: a conference between two or more people to consider a
       particular question; "frequent consultations with his
       lawyer"; "a consultation of several medical specialists"
    3: the act of referring or consulting; "reference to an
       encyclopedia produced the answer" [syn: reference,
       consultation]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

57 Moby Thesaurus words for "consultation":
   admonition, advice, advising, advocacy, audience, bargaining,
   bargaining session, briefing, caution, caveat, conclave, confab,
   confabulation, conference, confrontation, congress, convention,
   council, council fire, council of war, counsel, direction,
   discussion, exchange of views, exhortation, expostulation,
   eyeball-to-eyeball encounter, guidance, high-level talk, hortation,
   huddle, idea, instruction, interchange of views, interview,
   meeting, monition, negotiations, news conference, opinion, palaver,
   parley, pourparler, powwow, press conference, proposal,
   recommendation, remonstrance, seance, session, sitting, suggestion,
   summit, summit conference, summitry, thought, warning



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

CONSULTATION, Eng. law. The name of a writ whereby a cause, being formerly
removed by prohibition out of an inferior court into some of the king's
courts in Westminster, is returned thither again for if the judges of the
superior court, comparing the proceedings with the suggestion of the party,
find the suggestion false or not proved, and that therefore the cause was
wrongfully called from the inferior court, then, upon consultation and
deliberation, they decree it to be returned, where upon this writ issues. T.
de la Ley.



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

CONSULTATION, practice. A conference between the counsel or attorneys
engaged on the same side of a cause, for the purpose of examining their
case, arranging their proofs, and removing any difficulties there may be in
their way.
     2. This should be had sufficiently early to enable the counsel to
obtain an amendment of the pleadings, or further evidence. At these
consultations the exact course to be taken by the plaintiff in exhibiting
his proofs should be adopted, in consultation, by the plaintiff's counsel.
In a consultation on a defendant's case, it is important to ascertain the
statement of the defence, and the evidence which may be depended upon to
support it; to arrange the exact course of defence, and to determine on the
cross-examination of the plaintiff's witnesses; and, above all, whether or
not evidence shall be given on the part of the defendant, or withheld, so as
to avoid a reply on the part of the plaintiff. The wishes of the client
should, in all cases, be consulted. 3 Chit. Pr. 864.



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

CONSULTATION, French law. The opinion of counsel, on a point of law
submitted to them. Dict. de Jur. h.t.