What do I wear to Law School? Law School Answers

PLEASE SEE MY ORIGINAL POST HERE!

At my law school the answer to "what do I wear to class?" is "whatever you want."

Most of my classmates wear comfortable, casual clothes. As in: jeans and t-shirts or shorts and flip-flops. A handful of us come to class in business attire or business casual attire.

I have reasons for dressing nicely for class:

• All of my professors attend classes wearing business attire. They're showing respect for the profession of law and scholarship and for their students. I recognize that deference and return it.


• I'm preparing myself to enter a profession that maintains certain standards. One of these--like it or not--is a requirement for professional attire when conducting business. In the business of law school I dress as I would for a casual day at the office. I don't wear business suits but I rarely wear jeans.


• I'm altering my perception of myself. I don't think of myself as a professional, but I'm pushing myself to reconsider. Don't clothes make the man?


• I take myself seriously when I'm dressed nicely. I'm attacking law school with all that I have and the clothes I wear remind me of that. Being a lawyer is serious business that has serious consequences. I joke about law school and poke fun at myself and my classes. But when it comes down to it I know that I'm here to learn how to advocate for those who can't advocate for themselves. That's a big deal and I don't wear jeans and sneakers to a big deal.

The short answer, though, is "whatever you want." The three years of law school may be your last opportunity to make that choice.

Orientation: day 2

The second day of orientation was less exciting than the first. The highlight was a mock class taught by a professor in the Academic Support Program. I asked a few questions in a class of around 80 students. It's not a parallel comparison between this class and, say, Civil Procedure, but I'm pleased to know that speaking up in a large lecture hall isn't all that scary.

The orientation sessions have no dress code (except for the business attire requirement for student directory photos that I mentioned previously) and so it was interesting to check out what other wunnelles were wearing.

I wore a skirt with a blouse and a nice sweater. Other students wore clothes that ranged from denim shorts and t-shirts to pencil skirts and heels. Conforming to a bothersome trend, the law building was teeming with flip-flops. I'm of a different generation than most of my fellow students, but even the flops with sequins on the straps or flowers on the thongs just don't seem like appropriate footwear for a professional school. The men had a better handle on this; those dressed in the business casual vein almost to a man wore appropriate (closed-toed) shoes. Women, though, wore dresses with matching flip-flops or skirts with matching flip-flops or slacks or blouses or sweaters with flip-flops. I'm far from a fashionista, but I think I know professional clothes when I see them. Aren't flip-flops beach wear? Aren't they a little chichi? Or am I just old?

Please see my original post here.
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Orientation--day 1

Day one of law school orientation is done. My business attire (yes, I wore a business suit) was appropriate and almost made me feel like a real law student. I wore striped rainbow socks under my loafers--the shoes were actually pretty comfortable--and the socks were a hit with other 1Ls. Also, every time I crossed my legs I caught a glimpse of them and felt a tiny twinge of happy. They worked out nicely, the socks did.

Now you're asking, "so what was the first day like?" (Come on; I KNOW you're wondering.)

The day started with a scholarship recipient luncheon. While waiting for the luncheon to start I met three really interesting first-years, with whom I spent most of the day. (Thanks, Andrew, A.J., and Leon, for helping me feel at ease on a crazy day.)

The luncheon was fine; it was mostly arranged as an opportunity to meet other wunnelles. And it happened with free food AND a party favor. I treasure the free jump drive most of all the free items I received throughout the day. The highlighters, pens, and candy that came later just didn't compare, though the candy was a tiny rainbow among the black and white of business-attired-law-students.

Then our group--Andrew, A.J., Leon, and I--waited for six o'clock to roll around. Note: people-watching at a law school is a incredibly pleasant. Contrary to what I've heard, law students have FUN. There was laughing and joking and chatting about summers. There was also a great deal of bustling and seriousness, business attire and business casual attire, and, incongruously, lots of flip-flops.

The school hosted a reception for all the first-years at which the interim dean gave an inspiring speech and Thomas Beauvais, the Student Bar Association's president, gave an encouraging speech. Beauvais reassured us that we were capable of studying law and it would be worth it in the end.

Phew.

Next was a meet-and-greet with the other students in our sections. Lots of free wine led a few students to drink too much, but mostly we just mingled. Again, I met some really great people who came from all across the country and Canada.

Then we explored the administrative offices and walked among tables populated by all of the law school student groups. I signed up for a number of email lists and became really excited about the opportunities offered to Suffolk's students.

It was a good day, and one that wasn't worth all the stress and anxiety I'd been suffering through for the past two weeks. It was easy and fun and exciting.

I'm totally starting law school, and that ROCKS.

Please see my original post here.
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Gimme some sugar

I'm pretty stressed.

Some signs are typical: my hair is falling out; I'm having nightmares and difficulty sleeping; I end most days with painful tension headaches.

The other sign seems to be particular to me. When I'm anxious I crave sugar.

I'm not talking about rich cakes and cookies here, though those would probably do. When I'm stressed I want pure sweetness. I've been gorging on Smarties, Gobstoppers, Nerds, and hard peppermint candies. For variety I snack on graham crackers, apple juice, apples, and animal crackers, but I quickly return to my sugar stash for dessert.

None of this is helping my anxiety. The sugar makes me jumpy and bloated. When I'm jumpy I feel more nervous; when I'm bloated my law school clothes don't fit right. When I'm jumpy and bloated and anxious I'm close to miserable.

I don't know why I rely on sugar when stress is knocking me down. If anyone has thoughts I'd love to hear them. Meanwhile I'm headed to CVS. I hear the Halloween candy is finally on the shelves and I need a few bags.

Please see my original post here: http://lauramcwilliams.wordpress.com/2009/08/06/gimme-some-sugar/
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Loafing in Beantown

I've been invited to a scholarship recipients' luncheon at Suffolk. Following the luncheon I'm to have my photograph taken for the student directory. Business attire required.

My plan is to wear a white blouse and black pants. That's business attire, right? I hope so, because that's what I'm wearing. Which brings multiple equations to the fore.

1. White blouse + food (luncheon) = fiasco
2. Standing up while wearing a stained white blouse = mortification
3. How did I end up deciding to begin a career that requires BUSINESS ATTIRE? I, of baggy jeans and sneakers, = scarcely prepared for this.
4. Shoes. My past shoe choices have always been driven by comfort. For this event I will be wearing black loafer-type shoes, which are not entirely foot-merciful. How did I end up deciding on a career that includes wearing LOAFERS? Feet = never cushioned again.
   
5. Hot. It's August in Boston and therefore hot and humid. White blouse + [camisole] + pants + socks + loafers +subway + Boston + August + subway = disaster.
   

Even after all this I've got my fingers crossed that my attire will indeed be business (enough) and I will neither be over- nor under-dressed.

Loafers be damned. Seriously; damn those loafers.

Update, Agust 6, 2009. My sources tell me that my white blouse/black pants combination is not, in fact, business attire. I need to buy a suit. This thing just keeps getting worse.

Tack on another APR

I just read Jeremy Schachter's fabulous post about why law school is so awesome. I myself am understanding his finer points even though I haven't yet attended first year orientation. Schachter writes:

Comedy was cool, but I wasn't exactly rich, I was borderline poor. Not poor enough though. I wanted to know what it would be like to be poor and be millions in debt and it's awesome. Every bottle of Head & Shoulders and every falafel sandwich from Pita Joe is at 7.9 percent. Do you know how liberating that is!?

I, too, am suddenly drastically poor. This isn't the kind of poor in which I have to choose between buying milk and buying bread. This is the kind of poor in which I have to choose between Visa and Discover to buy aspirin. This is middle-class poor and it's added a new dimension to my world.

The key, though, is to spin it. When I signed the promissory note I didn't become poor; I became a super-environmentalist.
First: all that cash moving around this country is REALLY bad for the trees. Save the paper; use plastic! And speaking of plastic, here's a dirty secret: I REUSE sandwich bags. I'm an environmentalist from way back, so reusing baggies is good for my soul. My personal best is six; SIX days of using the same peanut-butter-smeared baggie! Dirtier secret: I've occasionally resorted to washing baggies and drying them on a dish drainer. I'm telling you, it's good for the environment and Tupperware containers don't easily fit in my backpack. I believe I can take this one box of baggies and spread it out over an entire year. I'm saving at LEAST $1.50 here.

I've started adding up how much I spend on food each day. By my calculations I can have two cups of coffee and a bagel in the morning, a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, a bowl of rice for dinner, and four rolls of Smarties for dessert, and still be under my $4/day limit for food. If you're wondering: yes, I do eat Smarties. The sugary, children's-tylenol kind, not the chocolate ones. For dessert. Often. What? It's cheaper than cake. The Smarties are naughty plastic-wrapped things but what's more earth-friendly than an entirely plant-based diet? Never mind that the only plant included here is rice. And the coffee is not fair trade, but it would be if I could afford fair-trade coffee.

And:
I was garage-sale-chic before garage sale chic was cool. And even before it was, ahem, chic. But how much does it rock that I bought an ENTIRE LAW SCHOOL WARDROBE from Goodwill? Look at me! I can be environmentally conscious AND fashionable all at...the...same...there's a stain on this blouse.

This law school thing is pretty awesome. Being poor, wearing yellowed rags, resisting hunger, headaches, and other temptations; it's all preparing me to be one ROCKING attorney. Or it would be, if I could afford to buy my books.