Virtual Court Hearings – The Dress Code

I thought I would expand from my last blog on virtual hearings and touch on the Dress Code, sort of. 

By now I’m sure most of you have seen bloopers of virtual meeting fails, and most recently the Lawyer in Texas getting stuck with a cat filter during a hearing.  I’m not sure what’s funnier in that one: the lawyer assuring the Judge that he is not a cat, or the opposing lawyer finally looking up and getting a good giggle.  Seriously, on a day that I need a good laugh I go back to that.  Let’s just say a few us around the office were laughing. 

Is that the worse of Virtual Hearings?  Probably not. I’m sure there are many horror stories out there of what is happening during meetings or hearings that would certainly make us all cringe. 

One thing that our office always ensures is that those of us who are attending virtual meetings or hearings are wearing the proper attire.  By that they mean no sweaters or ripped t-shirts with your favorite band on it – if it’s a Court Hearing we are wearing business attire.   We also use neutral virtual backgrounds for all hearings and client meetings, which includes our law firm logo.  I know I really don’t want everyone to see my pantry shelf hoarding the paper towels and toilet paper.

When I have to meet with one of our top-notch lawyers, I usually know when they have a Court appearance or client meeting.  While they always maintain professional attire, there is a difference between comfortable professional and Court professional.  You would think they were in a physical Courtroom that day. 

I know that when I have a meeting and I need to dress in my office attire, put on some makeup, and make sure my hair is more than just acceptable, my mental health is just a little bit better on those days.  There are days when you just don’t feel like it, but feeling like you are actually leaving the house once in a while really does wonders.   

For those who don’t have meetings, maybe get up a few minutes earlier and make it your routine to brush your hair everyday and make sure you don’t have food caked all over your face.  Don’t just roll of bed and stumble to your desk clearing your eyes and wiping drool from your mouth.  And for those of us who do have those video meetings, maybe just double check that you are not a cat. 

Chrisitne Allan, Law Clerk