About to dye my hair pink? Forum

[Stylnator]

I'll be attending an ASW for scholarship interviews on the 24th and maybe one on the 1st of next month. Do you think it will reflect poorly?

I have long hair and it would be one long vertical strip at the back of my head on the bottom layer (neon pink).

[MKC]

I'll be attending an ASW on the 24th and maybe one on the 1st of next month. Do you think it will reflect poorly?

I have long hair and it would be one long vertical strip at the back of my head on the bottom layer (neon pink).

They'll factor this in the same way they factor in other softs.

[floatie]

Well, you've already been accepted so I can't see how it will matter that much. If you're overly concerned about it, just wait another 3 weeks until after your last ASD

[Stylnator]

Well, you've already been accepted so I can't see how it will matter that much. If you're overly concerned about it, just wait another 3 weeks until after your last ASD

Sorry I should've been clearer, these ASW are also scholarship interviews for the schools.

[floatie]

Well, you've already been accepted so I can't see how it will matter that much. If you're overly concerned about it, just wait another 3 weeks until after your last ASD

Sorry I should've been clearer, these ASW are also scholarship interviews for the schools.

Oh. In that case personally I would wait until afterwards.

[brinicolec]

Well, you've already been accepted so I can't see how it will matter that much. If you're overly concerned about it, just wait another 3 weeks until after your last ASD

Sorry I should've been clearer, these ASW are also scholarship interviews for the schools.

Oh. In that case personally I would wait until afterwards.

Yeah, I'd wait.

Not gonna lie. Haven't seen any fun-colored hair on any of my LS visits. It's sad, really.

[Stylnator]

Well, you've already been accepted so I can't see how it will matter that much. If you're overly concerned about it, just wait another 3 weeks until after your last ASD

Sorry I should've been clearer, these ASW are also scholarship interviews for the schools.

Oh. In that case personally I would wait until afterwards.

Yeah, I'd wait.

Not gonna lie. Haven't seen any fun-colored hair on any of my LS visits. It's sad, really.

Yeah I pretty much knew I should wait but I just wanted to get an idea of how bad I could come off but I guess no risk at all is better than even a small risk.

Maybe you'll see some fun colored hair once school starts! My classmates certainly will

[brinicolec]

Well, you've already been accepted so I can't see how it will matter that much. If you're overly concerned about it, just wait another 3 weeks until after your last ASD

Sorry I should've been clearer, these ASW are also scholarship interviews for the schools.

Oh. In that case personally I would wait until afterwards.

Yeah, I'd wait.

Not gonna lie. Haven't seen any fun-colored hair on any of my LS visits. It's sad, really.

Yeah I pretty much knew I should wait but I just wanted to get an idea of how bad I could come off but I guess no risk at all is better than even a small risk.

Maybe you'll see some fun colored hair once school starts! My classmates certainly will

Lol, I like to wear wigs/weave and stuff, so I'll probably get some pink going eventually as well.

[chandhi]

Blue haired girl here says slaaayyy with the pink

[Stylnator]

I'm so happy that there are other TLSers who are into colored hair!! The legal world isn't exactly known for liberal fashion so it's refreshing to see

[chandhi]

I'm so happy that there are other TLSers who are into colored hair!! The legal world isn't exactly known for liberal fashion so it's refreshing to see

Lol yes! Might come off the wrong way, but here's my thought process: I am intelligent, have some interesting experiences under my belt, and would be a valuable addition to schools/jobs. Any school/job that can't see that past my blue hair is missing out and is probably not a place I wanted to end up at anyway.

[Stylnator]

I'm so happy that there are other TLSers who are into colored hair!! The legal world isn't exactly known for liberal fashion so it's refreshing to see

Lol yes! Might come off the wrong way, but here's my thought process: I am intelligent, have some interesting experiences under my belt, and would be a valuable addition to schools/jobs. Any school/job that can't see that past my blue hair is missing out and is probably not a place I wanted to end up at anyway.

see now a part of me is secretly hoping you'll go to a more conservative school just to show everyone up w/awesome blue hair

[chandhi]

I'm so happy that there are other TLSers who are into colored hair!! The legal world isn't exactly known for liberal fashion so it's refreshing to see

Lol yes! Might come off the wrong way, but here's my thought process: I am intelligent, have some interesting experiences under my belt, and would be a valuable addition to schools/jobs. Any school/job that can't see that past my blue hair is missing out and is probably not a place I wanted to end up at anyway.

see now a part of me is secretly hoping you'll go to a more conservative school just to show everyone up w/awesome blue hair

Interviewed this morning for U of Chicago, so we'll see! My interviewer made no comments on the blue hair, if you were wondering haha

[Npret]

I'm so happy that there are other TLSers who are into colored hair!! The legal world isn't exactly known for liberal fashion so it's refreshing to see

Lol yes! Might come off the wrong way, but here's my thought process: I am intelligent, have some interesting experiences under my belt, and would be a valuable addition to schools/jobs. Any school/job that can't see that past my blue hair is missing out and is probably not a place I wanted to end up at anyway.

see now a part of me is secretly hoping you'll go to a more conservative school just to show everyone up w/awesome blue hair

You might feel differently when you are trying to find a job. Don't do this now. It won't help you get a scholarship and that is your goal.
Sorry.

[chandhi]

You might feel differently when you are trying to find a job. Don't do this now. It won't help you get a scholarship and that is your goal.
Sorry.

Yeah it is different for scholarships since you won't ever have to spend time with the people who decide your fate haha.

[Stylnator]

You might feel differently when you are trying to find a job. Don't do this now. It won't help you get a scholarship and that is your goal.
Sorry.

Yeah it is different for scholarships since you won't ever have to spend time with the people who decide your fate haha.

Yes I think I'll wait. It's just annoying b/c everytime I wanted to have it done it's gotten held up for something like this.

Thanks for the advice!

[TakeItToTrial]

As a guy, I wont even grow my hair out for fear of looking un-lawyerly. Odds are people won't care, but I think the question you should ask yourself is whether dyeing your hair (or altering your appearance in other non-traditional ways) is worth enough to you to outweigh the potential negative impact on others' perception of you.

If it is, more power to you. You will probably be fine, and you will help modernize the profession's sense of what is stylistically acceptable.

[Npret]

You might feel differently when you are trying to find a job. Don't do this now. It won't help you get a scholarship and that is your goal.
Sorry.

Yeah it is different for scholarships since you won't ever have to spend time with the people who decide your fate haha.

Yes I think I'll wait. It's just annoying b/c everytime I wanted to have it done it's gotten held up for something like this.

Thanks for the advice!

Do it when you get back.

[whodareswins]

154

[sparkytrainer]

I would NOT do this. As much as you may want to liberalize the law, the fact is that many lawyers and admissions professionals in law schools (generally are JDs themselves) frown hard on this type of stuff.

For example, I know multiple judges, all younger than you would think, that do not allow women to wear pant suits in their chambers. There are male OCI interviewers that ding people for having different color belt and shoes. These people might not be the majority, but they are out there and will harm your chances for things, whether clerkships, OCI, or even potentially scholarships.

This is a stupid risk to take. I am all for expressing individuality, but the legal profession tends to be the one place where you do not want to do that with fashion/personal appearances.

[unsweetened]

This is a stupid risk to take. I am all for expressing individuality, but the legal profession tends to be the one place where you do not want to do that with fashion/personal appearances.

THIS

You can do that stuff when you make partner. You should be remembered for your merits and what you bring to the table, not for funny color hair. Consider the potential upside (zero) against the possible downside (bad first impressions, being perceived as too much of a risk taker, your physical appearance overshadowing your merit, etc.).

Once you are in law school with a scholarship, it's perfectly fine to have a little fun as a 1L because the only thing that matters is grades, not your hair. When you get to 2L and OCI, personal expression will probably need to take a backseat to chasing a positive employment outcome.

[A. Nony Mouse]

People, the question was asked last March and the OP decided not to do it. No necro’ing needed.

[38981928]

I would NOT do this. As much as you may want to liberalize the law, the fact is that many lawyers and admissions professionals in law schools (generally are JDs themselves) frown hard on this type of stuff.

For example, I know multiple judges, all younger than you would think, that do not allow women to wear pant suits in their chambers. There are male OCI interviewers that ding people for having different color belt and shoes. These people might not be the majority, but they are out there and will harm your chances for things, whether clerkships, OCI, or even potentially scholarships.

This is a stupid risk to take. I am all for expressing individuality, but the legal profession tends to be the one place where you do not want to do that with fashion/personal appearances.

I agree with your sentiments about not taking risks, but I'm a little bit shocked about the whole no pant suits for women thing... I've never heard that before and thought pants would be preferred over skirts! I have a sizable pant suit collection since I've been interning / working in very corporate environments for years, but I rarely wear skirts because I thought pants were more conservative? Sorry to crash this thread, but should I start acquiring skirts or something for in-person interviews and the like?

[A. Nony Mouse]

I cannot begin to say how many of my classmates were shocked by this. They assumed that pants were more conservative because they show less skin. What they didn’t get is that women wearing pants is seen as transgressive because it’s women wearing men’s clothing. Keep in mind that until the 1960s/70s many schools didn’t let girls wear pants to school and formal establishments (like clubs or such) wouldn’t let women in who wore pants. I had a prof who worked under Janet Reno and Janet Reno wouldn’t let the women in the office wear pants.

Personally I think if a firm dings you for wearing pants you really don’t want to work there and for biglaw pants will be fine. You may want skirts if you want to interview with judges because there are some notoriously conservative ones. The same might *possibly* be true if you interview with smaller firms in very conservative areas. (Ironically my sense is that there may be an expectation of skirts in some parts of the south, but you can often go much more nuts with colors and patterns in the south compared to the northeast.) (I don’t think LA cares about any of this at all!)

[sparkytrainer]

I would NOT do this. As much as you may want to liberalize the law, the fact is that many lawyers and admissions professionals in law schools (generally are JDs themselves) frown hard on this type of stuff.

For example, I know multiple judges, all younger than you would think, that do not allow women to wear pant suits in their chambers. There are male OCI interviewers that ding people for having different color belt and shoes. These people might not be the majority, but they are out there and will harm your chances for things, whether clerkships, OCI, or even potentially scholarships.

This is a stupid risk to take. I am all for expressing individuality, but the legal profession tends to be the one place where you do not want to do that with fashion/personal appearances.

I agree with your sentiments about not taking risks, but I'm a little bit shocked about the whole no pant suits for women thing... I've never heard that before and thought pants would be preferred over skirts! I have a sizable pant suit collection since I've been interning / working in very corporate environments for years, but I rarely wear skirts because I thought pants were more conservative? Sorry to crash this thread, but should I start acquiring skirts or something for in-person interviews and the like?

Nomy answered this very well, but wanted to reinforce her point. One of these judges is a liberal, appointed by Clinton/Obama. Some people take a more traditional view on women's clothing for a multitude of reasons. But I know one other judge that if a woman comes in for a clerkship interview in a pantsuit automatically dings her. He believes it shows that applicant didn't do her homework with former clerks. Idiosyncratic view? Sure. But he isn't the only one.

Just dress extremely conservatively in law school for interviews for anything unless you have direct knowledge contradicting this general statement. Let you be chosen/denied on the merits, not because you made a faux pas with the interviewer.

Another example for guys is having a beard. Generally not a problem, but some interviewers think its too casual. Yet once you are in practice, you can find lots of guys with well-kept beards doing great things. It just is too much of a risk before you have a job and have proven yourself in that environment.