Nervous About Law School Dress Code

[Dreaming_Student]

I understand that you have to dress professionally in law school. I feel like that's going to short change me. I don't want to be something I'm not. I'm a designer jeans and logo t-shirt kind of guy. Just because you are in a professional study doesn't mean you can't be normal. I feel like I would have to constantly monitor myself, even when I'm away from school and in the store. I don't think law school should control you as a person. Anyone else feel the same?

[john4040]

At my law school, there was no dress code, nor were the students dressed professionally.  Just wear something that is not distracting and you should be fine.

[jack24]

The most common choice of clothing at my school was a t-shirt and jeans.

[FalconJimmy]

Even if you show up to class every day in a clown costume, it wouldn't matter.  Your grade is based (for the most part) on your performance on one exam, at the end of the semester.

I wouldn't lose a lot of sleep over this if I were you.  Wear your designer jeans and ed hardy shirts.  I don't think anybody is likely to find it odd that you dress like 90% of the student body at a typical university.

[Morten Lund]

I understand that you have to dress professionally in law school.

I'm not sure who told you this.  It may have been true in 1954, but I don't know of any law school where there is a formal dress code at all, or where the informal dress code is any different from the rest of the university students.

Dress as you please.

Now job interviews while in law school, that is of course a different matter.

[IrrX]

Seriously. I can recall one guy who was underdressed for a drive-thru coffee joint. The bear paw slippers were a nice touch, though.

[Hamilton]

Right, I showed up for class a couple times coming right from the lake with swimsuit, sandals, t shirt and sand.  That said, if you have customarily never spruced up your look to be more adult, it would be a good idea to start gravitating toward more conservative dress; also, lose the facial pircings, funky hair colors, sloppy hairstyle, and wear business casual now and again.

Also, for God's sake, CLEAN UP YOUR ONLINE FOOTPRINT.  A friend of mine just decided not to hire what appeared to be a great candidate b/c of the crap and pictures he saw on the guys Facebook page - showed a complete lack of character and responsibility.

[BikePilot]

I'm pretty sure HLS doesn't have a dress code, but I think maybe the practice of law isn't for you.

[Hamilton]

Good point - law school, law firms, and generally most professional settings, are not the places to be the wildly-independent non-conformist who won't be told by "the man" how to act and dress.

There reaches a point where you need to get in line, shut your mouth, and do as you are told.

I'm pretty sure HLS doesn't have a dress code, but I think maybe the practice of law isn't for you.

[Morten Lund]

I'm pretty sure HLS doesn't have a dress code, but I think maybe the practice of law isn't for you.

I see what motivated you to write this, but I think your conclusion may be a little broad.  Plenty of people buy their first suit in law school (myself included), and many a fine rugged individualist has been successful in the corporate world.

To OP - BikePilot's very legitimate point is that the practice of law is, to a large extent, inherently formal.  While office dress codes have relaxed a bit over the last 20 years (I am currently wearing a Hawaiian shirt, but my office is a bit unusual), the underlying "our way or ... no, just our way" mentality is as strong as ever in most any field of law - and, frankly, in most of big business as well.

Success as a lawyer will require the ability to suppress your inner non-conformist, at least for a while, and instead just do it the way The Man wants it done, the end.  As the years go by, the rules change a bit, and (IMO) all the best lawyers are non-conformists at heart - but even then playing within the rules that matter.

Lawyering is by definition a rulebound existence.  If the idea of being subject to inflexible rules chafes you, then BikePilot is entirely correct.  If your concern truly is just about attire, then you should be fine, so long as you can wear what you are told.