A New Suit—Clothing in the Courtroom and Other Forums

One of our client’s sons made me this suit. His name is David Gordon. His business is called Sew Generously Bespoke.

I captured this image from a little video thanking him for making me a "suit of armor" just before we tried his mom’s case.

Clothing matters for attorneys, clients and witnesses.

I think the most important thing about clothing is the way it makes us feel about ourselves.

A close second is what it communicates to others. That communication is a combination of both understanding social norms and also whether we can deviate from them.

If you're unsure about what's expected of you, bias your wardrobe toward the standard "uniform."

What do I mean by "uniform?" If you're a male attorney, it probably means a suit or sportcoat and slacks in grey or navy. If you're a construction worker, it means a clean Carhartt outfit. These outfits communicate what you do and they're not going to make you stand out in a negative way.

If you understand social norms and are confident about how deviation from them will be perceived, you can operate with greater flexibility.

I dress up more for federal court than state court. I am more formal when appearing before a judge than a jury. I frequently wear a sweater rather than a coat and tie to arbitrations. Sometimes I wear athleisure to mediations.

Different forums. Different audiences. Different messages.