No time for blog posts for awhile .  I was  in a first degree murder trial last week . I learned a few time honored lessons in the courtroom . Dress for success still applies in a criminal jury trial .

Here are a few tips :

• Get a haircut . My client refused to get a haircut on one of the most important weeks of his life . Jurors like nerds . Get a nerd haircut .
• Shave . No facial hair period .
• Wear a dark colored suit . Think Brooks Brothers type clothing . Be conservative . At the least  , wear tan pants , white dress shirt , and a striped tie.
• For women , no short skirts . Don’t show too much skin . You know what I mean .
• Wear you pants at waist level . I know it’s the style to wear your pants low . Heck even my son wears his pants low . Jurors might not care for your fashion sense .
• No jewelry .
• No tattoos showing . Cover them if possible .
• If you wear contacts , wear glasses for trial .

New York attorney Carol Schlitt wrote a article on what not to wear to court that is worth reading . Dress and demeanor are critical in the courtroom . Jurors judge you by what you wear and how you act . During those stupid bench conferences on whether some evidence should be admitted , the jurors are sizing you up . I know the judge will tell them about the presumption of innocence , but that doesn’t stop them from judging you on your appearance .

Here is my suggestion . Choose your outfits . Take a picture of them or take them to your lawyer’s office to see what they think . Think church or funeral attire .

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