> for what it's worth, I too find it highly confusing that "partnership" and "LLP" (vs LLC) are both terms and not as closely related as one might first suspect...

They are just as closely related as one might suspect: an LLP is a partnership where the partners enjoy limited liability.

An LLC is not a partnership, though multimember LLCs are, by default, treated like a partnership for federal income tax purposes.

(The LLC is a fairly new form of business entity originally created as a lower overhead alternative to the corporation that would provide a distinct entity for corporate joint ventures; the LLP is also fairly new, but [in its US form] it was formed to protect innocent members of professional firms from personal liability for actions of other members of the firms, and is in many jurisdictions restricted to professional firms.)

LPs and LLLPs make things even more fun, though.

Owners of LLCs and LLPs generally have "limited liability" with respect to their equity investment, meaning that they are only liable for the entity's debts to the extent of their investment.

The primary difference between an LLC and an LLP: an LLC must have at least one "general partner" who is fully liable for all of the LLP's debts in the event the LLP defaults.

Another major difference: until recently, law firms and accounting firms could be LLPs but not LLCs, due to malpractice liability concerns. Now that most bar associations and/or states require these firms to maintain malpractice insurance, many states allow law firms and accounting firms to be LLCs.