Strike a (professional) pose
By Diana Smith, CPN Managing Editor
diana.smith@nc.lawyersweekly.com
With fall in full swing, many people are donning their long-sleeved sweaters and warmer dress slacks when they head into work each morning.
But that’s not the case at every law office.
Paralegals say the skirts are getting shorter and the clothing more casual these days – and some don’t like it.
Wearing suits or dresses is a way to convey professionalism right from the outset in the workplace, no matter what the setting, said Cyndy Adams, president of the Catawba Valley Paralegal Association in North Carolina.
“In my office, whenever our paralegals go to court, we wear suits or well-coordinated outfits that match the circumstances,” she said. “To me, you’re in a situation where you need to show respect, both to the court and your client. The way we do that is by dressing appropriately.”
It doesn’t have to be designer fashion, but it shouldn’t be picnic wear, either, according to most Carolina paralegals.
“Our attorneys say if you can rake in it, you can’t wear it,” said Raleigh, N.C., paralegal Jennifer Watford. “Now, that may not have one ounce of a reflection on my work product. But if I saw somebody looking disheveled, I’d think, ‘Hmm. Are they taking as much care with my stuff as they did with their professional appearance?’”
Fashion could also make or break a paralegal’s ability to land a job.
That’s because the first thing that any employer notices about a job candidate is their attire, said California-based Chere Estrin, editor-in-chief of KNOW, a magazine for paralegals.
Estrin told Carolina Paralegal News that a daily work wardrobe consisting of casual polo shirts and khakis was “great in the ’90s and the dot-com era, but it doesn’t hold water anymore.”
”These are tough times, and you have to look better than you’ve ever looked simply because of the psychological impact that a well-put-together person conveys to somebody else,” she said.
However, finding the fashion balance can be difficult to strike in law offices, particularly those without some sort of dress code.
But Vicki Swaringen of Charlotte, N.C., said the paralegals she knows have the common sense to know what’s appropriate.
“On days we have clients come in, I might choose to wear a suit, but usually it’s something that’s comfortable like a blouse and slacks,” said Swaringen, and estate and tax paralegal with Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson.
Swaringen’s firm’s dress code prohibits attire such as sandals, “short” short skirts and sleeveless tops, she said. There is also no “casual Fridays” policy.
When the seasons warm up, the staff also receives a reminder alerting employees of the dos and don’ts of fashion at the firm, Swaringen added.
But from what Watford has seen, not all paralegals seem to get the memo.
Skimpy office attire hasn’t been as prevalent, but Watford told Carolina Paralegal News that overly casual attire is common.
“I’m always surprised at CLEs where people dress as though it’s their day off,” she said.
Among the faux pas she’s seen: one woman dressed in a sweatshirt, yoga pants and a scarf. Another sat Indian-style on the floor with her shoes off, scratching her feet.
That type of attire could have damaging effects for a line of work that has been striving for years to prove its professionalism, cautioned Estrin.
“In the paralegal field, there’s no hierarchy,” she explained. “It’s ‘once a paralegal, always a paralegal’ in most of these firms. There’s no vertical climb up a ladder. It’s a horizontal climb, so you need to do everything you can to be successful.”
Paralegals are not the only people who could plead guilty fashion crimes.
“What has concerned me is the standards for incoming lawyers, especially females, seem to be very lax,” said Debbie Reynolds, a paralegal with Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough in Greenville, S.C. “I see very short skirts, low tops, sometimes even a midriff showing. I don’t seem to see too many of the staff folks dressing that way, but it does seem to be unaddressed with the attorneys.”
But that’s no excuse for paralegals to get sloppy, Estrin said.
“Lawyers are not an example,” said Estrin. “Paralegals are still looking to be defined, still looking for upgraded assignments and people are going to give it to the people they think are most successful. How are you going to portray that image?”
Even on days when she’s not wearing a business suit, Reynolds said she keeps a nice jacket at her desk in case she unexpectedly gets called into a meeting with a client.
“It’s something to pull on just to dress it up a bit,” she said. “It’s not a power suit, but always neat and professional.”
And it need not be expensive to look the part.
“It is hard to buy an Ann Taylor suit, times seven, on a paralegal salary. I get that,” said Watford. “But you can still dress nicely.”
And what to do with those plunging V-necks and relaxed fit jeans?
“Save it for your social hour,” said Estrin.
