Blouse that isn't too low-cut
Hair up

These are my internal guidelines, anyway. I think that if it might be distracting, don't wear it because you don't want to give your interviewer anything to focus on besides what you are saying.

This summer at my firm, there was a whole session on how women should dress at work. The older women attorneys felt that the younger women attorneys were wearing unprofessional clothing (sleeveless blouses, open-toed shoes, no nylons, etc.), and they were the ones who pushed for the training. I was surprised that it was the older women attorneys who were most concerned about the dress of the younger attorneys, and it made me realize how much a first impression can be jeopardized by fashion choices.

I worked for a liberal women's activist org this past summer, and we too had a meeting about appropriate attire at the urging of our older supervisors.
The most interesting comment came from a 40ish attorney who mentioned that even though she feels more comfortable in pants, and made a point of wearing pants to interviews or meetings with firms or other groups, she always wore a skirt when appearing before a judge in court. She thought of it as a sign of respect.
I worked for a judge two summers ago and didn't think twice about wearing pants suits, but after that meeting and that comment I went out and bought a skirt suit for my clerkship interviews.

After working in a prosecutor's office, which required that I be in federal court at least half the time, I've observed that skirts are definitely preferred in certain contexts. That is, many/most female Assistants would wear skirt suits during jury selection and jury addresses; some would wear them all trial, although most would not.

Part of the explanation that I got was the long-standing requirement that women wear skirts in court; apparently the state courts even until the mid-1990s (informally?) required skirts in court in New York (hardly a conservative satorial town). That being said, pant suits still reign supreme, especially in the wintertime.

Which brings me to another rule: even in the hottest, worst weather, ALWAYS wear hoisery with suits (during an interview or in court).

As it fundamentally offends me that women's career advancement is often closely tied to their looks, I refuse to wear anything that stands out at an interview. If my interviewer doesn't look me in the eye and listen to what I have to say, I don't want to work for him or her. I make efforts to look professional enough to show them that I respect their organization and take them seriously, and beyond that, if the way I look or dress makes a difference to that employer, I certainly don't want to work for them.

So it disturbs me, but at the prosecutor's office I worked at last summer, they definitely encouraged if not required female attorneys to wear conservative skirt suits during trial. Apparently they found that juries actually are more favorable to women prosecutors when they are dressed this way. As someone who hates skirts, this was disappointing to me. Then again, I suppose we are all constrained in the way we dress- men can't wear certain colored shirts or ties, etc.

Just to note though- I wore a skirt suit to almost all of my interviews, but my summer job offer came from the one where I wore pants. I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that I am fat. I have heard the "you have to wear a skirt" thing too many times and followed it for awhile- but what happens if your legs don't look very good. Do you think it's safer to wear pants in those circumstances?

... that I wore to some interviews gained me many compliments from female interviewers. Navy blue, but w/ pleated flounce about 3 inches long around the entire hem of the skirt; worn with black pumps but very wide, rounded toes - e.g. conforming to the letter of the "conservative" rule but clearly not conservative. My theory is that many men (especially older interviewers) are not savvy enough to women's fashion to know the difference between cool round-toe pumps and conservative pumps if they're both black, or to know that a flouncy suit is non-standard if it's navy blue like all the other suits. Many of the female attorneys who interviewed me were in pant suits, and hair was down.

Thinking about the standards for courts/judges is making me angry, but since your question was about interviews, I think you definitely have to wear what makes *you* feel good so that your performance will reflect the best you. The interviewers didn't seem to react negatively to anything I wore.

On courts: I have watched district court trials (in SDNY) where some of the women attorneys were in pant suits. The more important rule seemed to be color: if you're in the wrong color suit you really stand out. Must be a dark brown, black, navy, or possibly a dark grey. Even in spring and summer. No other colors, no creative flair, no stripes or patterns (on women) anywhere except in one female *associate's* shoes (navy blue w/ white trim, very high heels, very fashion forward).

I actually had somebody from my career services office discourage wearing a black suit. It was something about it exuding too much power. Her sense was that the firms don't want new associates to presume that they have the power to wear black. This was crazy talk, in my opinion.

I was especially shocked because I had just spent way too much money on a Tahari suit that I was in love with. Needless to say (if you know what a Tahari suit costs), I wore that black suit, two other black suits and a dark gray suit on my interviews. I kept careful records of what I wore on campus and what I wore on callbacks to make sure that I didn't wear the same thing twice with the same firm. I found no correlation between the color suit and the reception that I got. (I did get a couple compliments on my fashionable Ann Taylor suit from a couple of male partners on call backs.)

I say go black especially because of its sliming properties and ease of finding good shoes to match!

I was at an Oregon Women Lawyers CLE in the fall, and the subject of pants v. skirts in court came up. The feedback was really divided, with some very successful female trial attorneys advising to always wear the skirt to gaurd against a conservative jurist, and others equally successful in the court room advising us to wear what was comfortable, noting that discomfort would effect our self-esteem, and probably hurt us in the long run. It's a tough call. As a younger, thinner woman I was very comfortable in a skirt, but as I have gotten a little older, a little rounder, I really find that I prefer pants. Given how self-concious I would feel in a skirt these days, I think its probably to my advantage to go with a pants suit, conservativism be damned.

In terms of other rules -- big clunky distracting jewelry is a big no, and no bright colored nail polish. I was once informed that my favorite red nail polish made me look like a "b***h" because I tend to talk some with my hands. It made me so sad to give up wearing it in a professional setting, but I switched to more muted and neutral tones, and I never received any other negative feedback.

Hi, all! I am also from Oregon - one of the ladies at my school sent out this web page and I sure hope we can use it to meet new folks, form a network and use each other for support. What a great idea to do this nationwide!

As far as what to wear to interviews, I have found that it makes more sense to be confortable and to look nice in whatever you are wearing. If you are uncomfortable in a skirt, or it doesn't fit anymore (I've been there!), then wear something else. After all, if a firm is more concerned with what you are wearing than how well you can do the job, do you really want to work there?

That being said, I tried to wear skirts in court for my clerkship. I found I was walking the stairs, grabbing foot-thick piles of files, bending, crouching, reaching and stretching so much that a skirt just wasn't going to cut it. It's just too hard to take stairs two at a time while juggling files in a skirt...

Best of luck, ladies! :-)

I recently had to prepare for my first jury draw, and that got me to thinking again about what to wear. I much prefer pant suits b/c they are more comfortable, and I don't have to worry about: a) being a girl; b) showing some part I'm not supposed to; c) sitting wrong; or d) runs in my hose. However, after reading all of the posts here, I will have to reconsider getting at least one skirt or dress suit.

That said, what do you wear _under_ the jacket? I don't like the look of wearing a collared shirt outside/over the jacket lapels. But leaving a button-down unbuttoned (at top only, of course) but inside the jacket looks disheveled to me. So I thought about a shell or fine gauge crewneck sweater, but I'm not sure that's appropriate.

What do you do? Would appreciate any ideas. I wear both 2-button jackets and multi-button (where the jacket buttons up all the way to above where the 2nd or 3rd button on a buttondown shirt would be.

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

Sleeveless shells are my favorite because they don't get bunched up in the arms of your jacket (like shirts with sleeves sometimes do), and I think the lines fall more smoothly under the jacket down the front too since there aren't sleeves to pull things up when you move your arms. The only downside is that you can't really take the jacket off in a court setting since a sleeveless shell on its own isn't super professional, but I don't mind having my jacket on all the time. Ann Taylor has some nice ones usually, or you can go to Marshall's or Burlington Coat Factory or Ross and peruse the Clearance racks and usually come away with some good deals. I've built up quite a collection of them over the years, and I basically wear nothing else since I also hate buttoned shirts and find shells a really comfortable and professional-looking (in my opinion) option.

I am a trial judge in the capital city of a midwestern state and just perused through Ms. JD for the first time today.  It's been a while since I had to dress for an interview, and my courtroom attire is now fixed by my robe, but I think your professional wardrobe should be suitable to both interviews and courtrooms.  

As to courtroom attire, from my perspective, I don't think it matters if you wear a pant suit or a skirt suit.  I think it is most important that it is a well fitting suit.  You should be able to sit at counsel table, walk around the courtroom and handle exhibits without having to continually adjust your skirt, jacket or blouse. 

As to the cut of the suit, it should fit your body type.  Men seem to be able to have their suits tailored so that they fit well across the shoulders and in the upper arms,  women should do the same, taking into account the size and shape of their bosom.  I've had my share of frustrations in buying career clothes, so I know it's not easy, but keep shopping until you find the right style for you.    If the jacket fits you well and you can button it when you stand, do so.  If  you can't button it, make sure it hangs well when open. 

For choosing career clothes, I tend to favor darker suits and slacks, with a colorful shell  or light sweater underneath.   While a practicing attorney, I occassionally found my blouse accidentally "unbuttoned" during argument, which rates right up there with having your skirt tucked into your pantyhose,  or forgetting to zip your  trousers.  (Even prominent attorneys and jurists can forget occassionally)

Color is good.  It allows us to show our personality and dress like women while still looking professional.  You can change the look of a basic black or navy suit wtih a variety of colored shells or a necklace or nice lapel pin.  A suit or jacket in a pretty color is a nice change.  We don't have to look like men to do our job well or be taken seriously. 

Choose your scarves, jewelry, handbags, ruffles, etc carefully.  It's OK to make an outfit your own with accessories, but you don't want your accessories to detract from your message or credibility. I have had women attorneys wear what I would consider evening suits or dinner suits to court, which look lovely but much too fussy.   

One more thing about courtroom attire.  Try to get your client to dress appropriately.  Some courts have dress codes. ours doesn't.  Your client may have an entirely different standard of "good clothes" vs. "everyday clothes" than you do.  Ask what they plan to wear.  Their best "leathers" may not sit well with the jury or judge.  We  don't need to see all of their tatoos.

SANDERSON

I'm a litigator past age fifty.  When I first started practicing law 30 years ago, judges required skirts.  As a result, I've never worn a pantsuit to court and rarely in other circumstances.  I still feel a bit shocked to see young women coming to court in pants suits although I know that makes me an old fogy.  What I usually wear: black, dark gray, navy blue, or dark burgundy with a fine gauge short sleeved sweater and sometimes a scarf at the neck.  Black or navy blue close toed conservative pumps. Black leather purse or, occasionally, a saddle colored leather purse (Coach Classic works for me because I don't have to keep figuring out what goes where in my purse). Flesh colored stockings. No jewelry except inconspicuous earrings and one ring on my left hand (I'm single so the wedding ring issue doesn't come up).  

However, i have to warn you about one downside of skirts.   One day when a jury trial adjourned for lunch, I was coming down a wide granite courthouse staircase with the jurors following behind me because the judge dismissed the lawyers first and then the jury about one minute later.  I slipped and went headfirst down the staircase with my skirt over my head and all the jurors got an unobstructed view of my butt.  Luckily I was a lot younger and thinner then and my butt was pretty good to look at if I do say so myself.  (We settled the case two days later so I don't know whether we would have won and I have no idea if showing my butt to the jury helped or hurt!)

The moral of this is, skirts may be more conservative and thus more appropriate for jury trials but your granma was right when she told you to always wear your best underwear in case you get in an accident ...   

A few comments, now that I've finished up with 2L interviewing season:

I wore Ann Taylor skirt suits--the triacetate fabric has a bit of give, so they're really comfortable. And although I only wore skirts for interviews (I actually prefer them), I have matching pants for the colder months as well.

I too kept track of what I wore for different interviews, and the best bet was ocean blue button down shirts--I nailed every interview I had in those! It might be because it's my favorite color.... Also, to those who have a series of interviews coming up, I bought several no-iron shirts from Land's End for only $20 each.

I generally wore nylons, but one day I ran out so I went without. I figured it was no biggie, since (1) I was interviewing in NY, where ladies generally eschew hose, and (2) you're normally interviewing with a desk in between you and the attorney, so they can't usually see your legs. Wouldn't you know it, that day a female partner wanted me to sit across from her in an easy chair! The first thing she noticed were my knees, which are scarred from several surgeries, so then I had to describe my knee problems--not exactly the most impressive thing to start with, although I tried to spin it as best I could. I did end up with an offer, but I felt really uncomfortable during the interview. Moral: wear hosiery!

For hair, I varied up and down, but if I left it down I straightened my naturally curly hair--it just looks cleaner that way. Only jewelry was a watch and simple pearl drop earrings.

While speaking with a female partner at an informal networking event, she passed along a rule she learned from the senior female partner at her firm: "if you recieve a compliment on an outfit, never wear it again." I think this goes along with the theory that you don't want people to pay more attention to your clothes than to what you have to say. I am not sure how I feel about this, any thoughts?

So I love clothes, and my work wardrobe is no exception. I think I would be really bummed if I only wore clothes that were so bland or unremarkable they never attracted attention. My female co-clerk and I are always commenting on one another's outfits, and occaisonally we get to go shopping together. So for me, my work attire has been a sort of networking tool of its own.

That said, for interviews I wear my most boring suits. I still love it; the back of the jackets has a little belt buckle on it and the cut of the lapels is slightly curved, so it's very elegant looking. But unless you were closely inspectingit, you probably wouldn't pick it out ina crowd. It's black, well fitted, but still quite conservative, the skirt is loose enough that I don't have to worry about the lining showing when I sit, and it requires no adjustment when I stand up from a chair.

So while I certainly keep wearing compliment-generating attire to the office, I do think this is sound advice for the topic, that is for interviewing.

Hi ladies,

I received the following advice from career services. I would love to hear your thoughts on it !

I am almost 30 and have a M.S. degree in science and have worked in public interest organizations exclusively before coming to law school. I just finished my 1L year. I went into Career Services to ask some questions about OCI. When talking about attire and realted topics, the female counselor said to "wear what makes [me] feel comfortable," but..."if she was me she would definitely wear a skirt suit and makeup to show the interviewers that [I] was not too "public interesty" and was dedicated to their misson...."

 I was floored since I am interested in working in the northeast and would never have expected her to say this....

Am I way off base?

I think you should spend some effort on looking nice for your interviews.  For me, that involves wearing makeup but I know a lot of young women that look great without makeup.  However, I would tell everyone to dress and style yourself so you look like you want the job. 

I never wear hose except for interviews. Will this be a problem wehn I get to the office? And does everyone always wear hose in court?

It really depends on your office. I work in a business casual setting and I rarely wear hose in the summer time. However, from the end of September until April, I ALWAYS wear hose. Also, Hose are a requirement in court. Even if you have great legs...why accidentally offend a judge?