Law Students

Summer Associate Style, Part 1: The Business Casual Law Firm

By Casebook Sherpa

Do clothes make the man or woman? Is there anything to be said for giving some more thought to what you wear in a professional setting rather than just settling for whatever you’ve done in the past?

I’m spending this summer at a law firm in Northern Virginia where the attorneys dress business casual. Obviously for client meetings and court dates, lawyers suit up. But the rest of the time they’re fairly casual. This is actually similar to the dress code my current company has. Yet, I think the contexts and expectations are a bit different.

By Virginia standards, the firm I’m working at is slightly larger than average (27 attorneys), has been around for 100 years, and has a very collegial environment.

What’s a Summer Associate to do in this situation?

When I asked Interwebs this question, this was among the leading search results: “Your first day at the firm is really important.  More than likely, someone will take you on an office tour on your first day and introduce you to other associates and partners.  Try to make a good first impression on everyone.  Be very respectful.  Wear a suit, even if your firm has business casual dress code.  Also, you will be filling out tons of forms. Make sure that you have all the important documents and information with you (I.D., SSN etc.).  Do NOT be late!!”

The ABA Journal quotes a fashion consultant: “Business casual, he says, means wearing a mix of slacks, shirts, blazers and ties. Yes, ties. ?Ties show that you respect your peers, your position and your environment,? he says, and they should be de rigueur for every male attorney.”

The law firm Andrews Kurth advises the following: “Remember the business part of business casual. Business casual is a nightmare to fashion-police any time of the year, but it can be brutal during the summer, particularly among law students whose wardrobe consists of shorts and T-shirts. Err on the side of business when you’re in the office. As for after-hours events, keep your “casual” dress on the conservative side. Nothing too skimpy or grungy.”

And this discussion at The Style Forum is quite helpful.

I was certainly planning on wearing a suit at least for the first day. I have a fairly decent business casual wardrobe. It’s nothing to write home (or to GQ) about, but it’s decent. My initial thinking was wearing a blazer without a tie as my predominant “style.”

What do you think?

Is a mix of ties and suits and sport coats what I should be going for?
What are some things I might need?
What are the “staple” items – blue blazer, charcoal slacks, etc?
What did you find helpful?
Where is the line between too casual and too dressy?
How is the calculation for women different?

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Full post as published by Fight The Hypo on March 15, 2010 (boomark / email).