Top Law Schools

I have an "alternative" haircut, and it looks something like this:



This is not a picture of me, it's just an example I found on the internet. I'm wondering if my hair will impact job prospects as a lawyer, and if it will impact how my professors treat me in law school.

I also have ear piercings that are similar to those shown in the picture. Should I remove them?

cool story bra

i doubt your professors will care. if you want to work at a firm, do not wear your hair like that to your interviews. and take out the piercings for interviews.

if you get a cold call and you're unprepared, just respond with:

GWAOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

WUWUWUWUWUWUH WUH WUH WUHE WEH, GUAH HUHA WAOWWWWWWWWWWW

Anonymous User wrote:i doubt your professors will care. if you want to work at a firm, do not wear your hair like that to your interviews. and take out the piercings for interviews.

+1.

OP here. Fatduck, I appreciate the humor, but I'm serious about the haircut. This is not an uncommon look at the school I went to and in the neighborhood I live in.

Could I still come off as professional, if I cut my hair short and kept the sides trimmed close to the scalp?

--ImageRemoved--

Of course it will effect how people see you, but it's not really a big deal in school.

But you better start growing your hair out for OCI. You've got a year.

Thanks for the feedback, Desert Fox. Will I have to wear Hilary Clinton hair for the rest of my life, or will I be afforded more latitude as I gain seniority? Will I find more flexibility if I join a certain type of law firm or choose to specialize in a certain area of law?

I'm willing to do what it takes, but I'm sad to see the hair go.

off go the dreadlocks, in comes the income

That sort of hair cut will almost certainly result in nothing at OCI. What would ever make you think that it would be acceptable?

grow up. life is about choices. you chose the law so cut your hair

kwais wrote:grow up. life is about choices. you chose the law so cut your hair

so you're saying my beard must go?

I really don't know very many lawyers or law students. I come to this site so I can get the kind of insight I wouldn't otherwise have access to. I was hoping that there would be some niche area of law that would allow me to wear my hair the way I'd like to. It's obvious that the answer is no, but there is absolutely no reason to mock me for asking a genuine question.

Really? You are going to pick out your employer/practice area based on how you can get away with styling your hair?

How old are you?

It's not just about the hair but about the office environment. Can you say with absolute certainty that some areas of law are not less conservative than others? Again, no need to be demeaning.

Anonymous User wrote:I really don't know very many lawyers or law students. I come to this site so I can get the kind of insight I wouldn't otherwise have access to. I was hoping that there would be some niche area of law that would allow me to wear my hair the way I'd like to. It's obvious that the answer is no, but there is absolutely no reason to mock me for asking a genuine question.

People can be harsh, are you a K-JD student? If you are a word of advice, most of the corporate world is conservative the higher the position the more it's required.

Grow your hair back and adjust accordingly: TITCR

Anonymous User wrote:It's not just about the hair but about the office environment. Can you say with absolute certainty that some areas of law are not less conservative than others? Again, no need to be demeaning.

Some areas of law are definitely less conservative than others. I hear plaintiffs firms are way less uptight. But at the end of the day, clients want well-compensated lawyers to, you know, look like lawyers. That's a big obstacle.

Anonymous User wrote:It's not just about the hair but about the office environment. Can you say with absolute certainty that some areas of law are not less conservative than others? Again, no need to be demeaning.

If you're going to be a law and sexuality professor, it might be okay. But your research will need to be top notch.

I don't know...you guys are giving this poster too much trouble. Will you be able to get a typical "firm" job that most of TLS seeks? Unlikely. But I can think of some niche public service NGO type work where your coworkers might sport similar hair cuts (no $ of course).

However, the people in these positions sought out these positions because it was something that they wanted/always wanted to do, and the hair just came along with them. I.e., their hair was correlated with their eventual job choice, but not causally related.

I would be wary about letting your hair guide your future employment choice.

When Skrillex becomes passe, will you continue to sport your 'do?

PinkCow wrote:But I can think of some niche public service NGO type work where your coworkers might sport similar hair cuts (no $ of course).

Oh good point. And since these jobs are readily available, OP is set!

Anonymous User wrote:Thanks for the feedback, Desert Fox. Will I have to wear Hilary Clinton hair for the rest of my life, or will I be afforded more latitude as I gain seniority? Will I find more flexibility if I join a certain type of law firm or choose to specialize in a certain area of law?

I'm willing to do what it takes, but I'm sad to see the hair go.

I had an alternative haircut through OCI too. Got an offer from 3 V5. I think they appreciated my spunk and fresh perspective.

Desert Fox wrote:Of course it will effect how people see you, but it's not really a big deal in school.

But you better start growing your hair out for OCI. You've got a year.

Indeed, I'd imagine the whole point of this haircut is to effect how people see you.

People on this board are lemmings, so I wouldn't give them too much credit. I think a non-traditional haircut like the one in the OP would be fine for some more progressive legal employers if you dress professionally. Tattoos/piercings maybe less so. But no, not everywhere requires you to look like Hilary Clinton.

Keep in mind though, if you are someone interesting enough to have that haircut, you probably don't want to work at Biglaw in the first place.

Anonymous User wrote:People on this board are lemmings, so I wouldn't give them too much credit. I think a non-traditional haircut like the one in the OP would be fine for some more progressive legal employers if you dress professionally. Tattoos/piercings maybe less so. But no, not everywhere requires you to look like Hilary Clinton.

Keep in mind though, if you are someone interesting enough to have that haircut, you probably don't want to work at Biglaw in the first place.

Because one can generally judge how interesting a person is by his or her haircut.