Following the Brief by eXternal

Puzzle explanation

Extra letters in wordplay spelt out “Certain signs precede certain events; Cicero”, Cicero being a lawyer (brief). Substituting symbols for the strings omitted from answers (AT = @, RATIO = : or /, SUM = Σ or +, AND = & or +) in cells preceding entries that could be events (census, circus, opera, drama) created new words (senATor, mANDrel, reSUMe, satuRATIOn). The displaced letters make TIRO, a slave of Cicero who invented a system of shorthand.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer (omitted letters) Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 SENIOR SER around [C]OIN <
5 FOULED FO[E] + DUEL *
10 PROOF O[R] in PROF
13 ESPRIT [T]EST around PRI(g)
14 CENSUS (N after [A]CE) + SUS
15 CHEESE CH[I]NESE with E for N
16 NEPIT PI[N] in NET
17 CIRRIGRADE (GRID CARRIE[S]) *
20 README A[I]D in (RE + ME)
22 MOREL [G]ORE in M(amma)L
23 SEAZE ZE[N] after SEA
25 AREDES AS[S] around (RED + E)
28 BURNET ROSE (BURN + ROSE) around [P]ET
30 TOUTS T[R]OUTS
32 PHASIC P + HAS + IC[E]
34 UPKEEP [C]UP + PEEK <
35 CIRCUS CIRC[E] + US
36 SAINT SA[D] + I + NT
37 NORITE ON[E] < + homophone of RIGHT
38 STATUE [C]U in STATE
Down
1 SPECCY ECC[E] in SPY
2 NOT(AT)E NO + TATE
3 OFFSIDER OFFS + [R]IDER
4 RETE (l)ET[T]ER <
6 OPE(RATIO)N ERA in OPTION
7 URNED U + (DEN[A]RII − II) <
8 LISPER IS in PER[I]L *
9 DISTAL D + I[N]STAL
11 REHIRED H[E]IR in REED
12 OPERA P in O[V]ER + A
14 CARER CARE[E]R
18 AMETHYST ST in (THE MA[N]Y) *
19 HESSIAN HESS + I + [T]AN
21 MAN UP [S]UN < in MAP
23 SATURN S[C]AT + URN
24 ABUKIR AB + (l)U(r)[I](d) + KIR
26 DRAMA [C]RAM in DA
27 RECITE I in [E]RECT + E
29 UTERI (o)UTE[R] RI(dings’)
31 SECT SEC + T[O]
32 POS(SUM)S POS(e) + SUMS
33 S(AND)PIT (IN PAST + D) *
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