Does physical attractiveness play a role? Forum

[BrooklynLaw16]

Two diametrically opposed anecdotes:
1. Beautiful woman at a T2 with terrible grades gets a market paying mid-law job ($150K)
2. Objectively goofy looking guy with top 20% grades isn't able to land mid-law or big-law.

These real life situations tend to influence the conclusion that looks play a part in the upper echelons of legal hiring. Thoughts?

[gaddockteeg]

lol of course it does. I wouldn't necessarily say it was just because of looks though. i think sometimes good looking people have just gone through life with better human interactions and are thus just more sociable/likeable as a result.

also, i recall reading an article recently about how firm "fit" is just a way to discriminate. but this isn't unioque to law imo.

[TasmanianToucan]

Just PW already so that we can tell you if you have anything to worry about.

[trebekismyhero]

Two diametrically opposed anecdotes:
1. Beautiful woman at a T2 with terrible grades gets a market paying mid-law job ($150K)
2. Objectively goofy looking guy with top 20% grades isn't able to land mid-law or big-law.

These real life situations tend to influence the conclusion that looks play a part in the upper echelons of legal hiring. Thoughts?

I don't think a beautiful woman from a T2 is getting a market paying job if her grades are terrible. But I think it definitely helps on the margins. I'd say thinking about people in my class that are pretty good looking, they probably did better than others that were in the same grade range. But I also know a really pretty girl that struck out at OCI. Looks help cause they do for most everything, but personality and your grades are way more important

EDIT: Although I do remember one firm during OCI really standing out. 70 person satellite office of a national firm. Every SA they hired the past two years were really attractive females. But they were still all from t14s or top 10% from T1s. So grades still mattered

[Anonymous User]

It matters, but grades matter more. There definitely a few attractive girls at my school who punched above their GPA when OCI came around.

But there are also some really unattractive summers, both men and women, at my DC firm. I think being unattractive hurts women more than men, though. There's only a couple unattractive female summers vs several unattractive male summers where I'm at.

[AreJay711]

But there are also some really unattractive summers, both men and women, at my DC firm.

Not surprised.

OP, it's called the halo effect and it's very real.

[DrRighteous]

I think being unattractive hurts women more than men, though. There's only a couple unattractive female summers vs several unattractive male summers where I'm at.

Research supports you on this. Also, it helps if women are attractive/pretty but hurts if they are seen as sexy.

[buddhabelly]

lol of course it does. I wouldn't necessarily say it was just because of looks though. i think sometimes good looking people have just gone through life with better human interactions and are thus just more sociable/likeable as a result.

TITCR. Attractive people are on average just better at interacting with other people. Throw in the law school aspies that they are competing against and they look even better.

Attractiveness itself is a mixture of good looks and social skills, there's a reason that outgoing girl in your section is more attractive than that obnoxious gunner, and it's not purely because of what their mamas gave them.

[Anonymous User]

I thought attractiveness would matter, but I was kind of surprised by how little it did at OCI a few years back. Some of the prettiest girls in the school, with median grades, struck out...and plenty of not so pretty ones with median grades didn't. Same with the guys. Just my observations, but I was surprised by how little of a difference it made.

[The Mixed Tape]

i hope so

[Anonymous User]

Obvs Rachel Zane could be well below median and get biglaw EASY

[The Mixed Tape]

obvs.