While sifting through all of the different styles of briefcases, you might have stumbled across a few attach cases, and likely wondered what the difference between the two was. The answer to that question is that there is little difference between the two. They are both designed to carry papers, books, and laptops, and they generally have the same rectangular design. The point in which they differ is how they are organized. While a briefcase has a central large compartment, an attache case has two separate compartments that are closed via a flap with a snap.