How important is a professional appearance in law school? Forum

[Nekrowizard]

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[CoffeeIsLife]

I'm also interested in this, I don't have the same clothes/hair, but my hair is "longer" and I have a beard. Just trying to figure out how much to clean up by the time I start school

[Frothingslosh]

In school? It won't matter at all. For interviews, networking events, anything semi-formal? Definitely chop that and leave the goat shirts in the closet. In case this isn't a flame, the legal profession is SUPER conservative. Don't draw unnecessary attention to yourself by way of being remembered as "the kid from Slayer with the skull shirts".

[A. Nony Mouse]

Will the hair hurt me in interviews?

Interviews with firms? Honestly, probably.

[DoveBodyWash]

ehhh...i dunno..i guess it depends which school you go to. I don't think it'll matter too much as a student, unless you want to establish relationships with more conservative faculty. But I would definitely clean up for interviews.

[jchiles]

I would definitely lose the long/longer hair for interviews, and as far as beards go I sort of base whats acceptable by looking at what other youngish associates at firms are doing in the area, but personally I'd go clean shaven.

As far as day-to-day at law school, that's up to you but if you're going to go with the metal look just be prepared to be known as that guy with the long hair and goat shirts, which I'd assume you're ok with.

[ymmv]

Will the hair hurt me in interviews?

Interviewing for Sierra Club counsel? Probably not. For 99.9% of law firms? Almost certainly.

[El Pollito]

Yes, having ridiculous hair will hurt you in interviews. People in school might also think you're a weirdo.

[FSK]

You'll look so much better with a haircut. Just do it.

[Abbie Doobie]

never knew that goats were heavy metal. learned something new today

[Nekrowizard]

.

[rayiner]

You don't need to clean up before you start, just before OCI which isn't till August before your 2L year. At school, the guy with the hair and the goat shirts will get less attention than the one who wears a button-down with tie and slacks to class every day.

[emkay625]

You don't need to clean up before you start, just before OCI which isn't till August before your 2L year. At school, the guy with the hair and the goat shirts will get less attention than the one who wears a button-down with tie and slacks to class every day.

This is true.

I don't think it really matters until it comes time for your first interview, which will be sometime spring of 1L year.

[ymmv]

You don't need to clean up before you start, just before OCI which isn't till August before your 2L year. At school, the guy with the hair and the goat shirts will get less attention than the one who wears a button-down with tie and slacks to class every day.

Yeah, these do tend to be most the noticeably insufferable students as a general rule.

[FSK]

You don't need to clean up before you start, just before OCI which isn't till August before your 2L year. At school, the guy with the hair and the goat shirts will get less attention than the one who wears a button-down with tie and slacks to class every day.

Yeah, these do tend to be most the noticeably insufferable students as a general rule.

The worst, in my experience. Mostly insufferable gunners.

[kalvano]

How are we this many posts in without an argument already going about beards? I thought that the TLS minimum was 5 posts for such things.

[zugzwanger]

It would have been awesome to go to LS during the early - mid 90s grunge/post-grunge era everybody was wearing plaid and torn up jeans all the girls kind of looked like janeane garofalo etc.

[Power_of_Facing]

TCR, from my vantage at a biglaw firm, is to go into interviews looking all prim and proper and clean and cut, but then once people actually get to know/like you -- i.e. after you're "in", you can push the envelope a bit more in terms of appearance. Adults don't like to tell other adults to get a haircut, and so long as you look reasonably professional it shouldn't be a huge deal.

I also agree that gaudily overdressing for law school is gunneruesome and lame.

[Tanicius]

You don't need to clean up before you start, just before OCI which isn't till August before your 2L year. At school, the guy with the hair and the goat shirts will get less attention than the one who wears a button-down with tie and slacks to class every day.

Saw a 1L this past year wearing a complete, full suit (with a vest, even) every. single. day.






And I was actually quite jealous. He wore that suit damn well.

[Power_of_Facing]

You don't need to clean up before you start, just before OCI which isn't till August before your 2L year. At school, the guy with the hair and the goat shirts will get less attention than the one who wears a button-down with tie and slacks to class every day.

Saw a 1L this past year wearing a complete, full suit (with a vest, even) every. single. day.






And I was actually quite jealous. He wore that suit damn well.

Really? That seems so ridiculous in a place like Berkeley.

[lhanvt13]

You don't need to clean up before you start, just before OCI which isn't till August before your 2L year. At school, the guy with the hair and the goat shirts will get less attention than the one who wears a button-down with tie and slacks to class every day.

Saw a 1L this past year wearing a complete, full suit (with a vest, even) every. single. day.






And I was actually quite jealous. He wore that suit damn well.

Yeah if u maintain and rock it, then it's fly as hell. Otherwise, you just look like a tool.

Also depends on school..

[Tanicius]

You don't need to clean up before you start, just before OCI which isn't till August before your 2L year. At school, the guy with the hair and the goat shirts will get less attention than the one who wears a button-down with tie and slacks to class every day.

Saw a 1L this past year wearing a complete, full suit (with a vest, even) every. single. day.






And I was actually quite jealous. He wore that suit damn well.

Really? That seems so ridiculous in a place like Berkeley.

Depends on your background. The people with pre-enrollment connections to investment banking and Silicon Valley tend to wear expensive stuff a lot. They tend to either take it the Playboy route or they may dress like Harvey Specter. I think my emotional hostility to the way they dress is mostly petty and born of jealousy for their means, but I guess if nearly everyone is thinking the same way I am, then the motives for our distaste don't matter much and you should consider dressing in a way not calculated to alienate everyone around you.

[lhanvt13]

Idk about your specific wardrobe, but I avoid all things with buttons. So t-shirt and sweat pants all day

[Pokemon]

Cut your hair before interviews bro. This should not even be a question.

[jbagelboy]

Agree re: hair. Lose it for law school.

As far as suits are concerned, they are totally unnecessary day to day. However if you have to wear one for a networking event/insist on wearing one in claas and around campus, make sure it fits. Seriously - nothing looks sillier than a kid wearing an ill-fitting jacket with a sloppy tie when its not even necessary. This sounds a bit classist, but if you want to work in the private sector or federal gov't, it's an unfortunate truth: don't just grab a cheap suit and dress shirts off the rack at Marshalls. Get it fit. It's never a downside to have a conversation start with "you clean up nice" or "that's a great tie."