Clothing in the legal profession

jenny jinks

I work as a secretary to a solicitor. I do a lot of other work which is more in the nature of a legal executive. I sometimes attend counsel in court and organise briefs.
My boss will not allow me wear skirts to work. He says that only female barristers and solicitors and apprentices should wear skirts. He says that if I wore skirts I might be mistaken for a solicitor or barrister and this would be undesirable. I love my job, but my boss is obsessed with people knowing their place and acting accordingly.
I wonder if this is a breach of my rights?

macy9

WTF?

Would the world end if someone mistook you for a solicitor?

I think your boss has issues.

dermot_sheehan

Your boss is entitled to have (a rather ridiculous) dress code.

Tom Young

That's a bit mad in the year 2010. It's a silly requirement, but at the same time, a requirement!

amen

He says that only female barristers and solicitors and apprentices should wear skirts

so what happend 20-30 years ago? Did all females not wear skirts?

partyguinness

Sounds like your boss has way to much time on his hands to be thinking about crap like that....and no your rights have not been breached.

The last thing you want is to be confused for a lawyer...

I Drink It Up!

Tell your Boss to do one......

Tom Young

Burqa's anyone?

I Drink It Up!

Tom Young wrote: »

Burqa's anyone?

Gurkhas not Burqa's.....

PCPhoto

meh ..... do you want to keep working there ? is wearing a skirt to the office THAT important ?

(i dont think its something that can get you fired)

Tom Young

I Drink It Up! wrote: »

Gurkhas not Burqa's.....

Very Joanna Lumley of you.

I Drink It Up!

Tom Young wrote: »

Very Joanna Lumley of you.

She can wear whatever she wants in my Office.....:D

Tom Young

I Drink It Up! wrote: »

She can wear whatever she wants in my Office.....:D

A Gurkha!

I Drink It Up!

Tom Young wrote: »

A Gurkha!

Oh..now......she should be able to fit at least 3 of the little fellas on....:eek:

FreudianSlippers

You'd think the lack of a gown would tip people off that you're not a barrister, and if someone thought you were a solicitor you'd just say "oh, no... I'm actually not a solicitor. My boss is though."
Problem solved and new work for the boss.

Maximilian

Tom Young wrote: »

Burqa's anyone?

Too sexy.

OP your boss sounds like an asshole. Sadly a fairly common trait found in solicitors.

McCrack

I've come across some solicitors stuck in a time warp. You can tell their ilk from their letter style and tone. One sole practitioner I know of sent correspondence typed using a type-writer! I checked him in the Directory and he qualified in the 50's. Still no excuse though. Same thing with the skirts on women.

I Drink It Up!

McCrack wrote: »

I've come across some solicitors stuck in a time warp. You can tell their ilk from their letter style and tone. One sole practitioner I know of sent correspondence typed using a type-writer! I checked him in the Directory and he qualified in the 50's. Still no excuse though. Same thing with the skirts on women.

could you read his typing?

evercloserunion

Maybe he thinks you're going to steal his business away!

stepinnman

He might be entitled to have a 'ridiculous' dress code but he's not entitled to have a discriminatory one. Unless you're working in a uniformed environment then you can't insist that people dress according to their 'rank'!

Leeby

jenny jinks wrote: »

but my boss is obsessed with people knowing their place and acting accordingly.
I wonder if this is a breach of my rights?

I'm pretty sure your boss is entitled to specify a dress code, especially as a legal secretary you could be carrying boxes of files around and wearing a skirt can make any manual handling you have to do more difficult.

As for knowing your place, that's not just your boss, that's the entire legal system, it's all about knowing your place and respecting those who outrank you.

nuac

Poster, your boss is either very brave or very odd.

drkpower

Leeby wrote: »

As for knowing your place, that's not just your boss, that's the entire legal system, it's all about knowing your place and respecting those who outrank you.

That's a depressingly out-dated notion and approach.

Secretaries, para-legals, solicitors, barristers should all have a healthy dose of not 'knowing their place' and certainly should not unduly respect those who outrank them (or at least they should not respect them to the point of unthinking deference).

If legal professionals are so timid and easily intimidated, they aren't going to be much good in getting a result for their client.

Tom Young

On this I agree with you!

drkpower

Tom Young wrote: »

On this I agree with you!

Hey; I thought small font wasn't allowed....;)

Laura79

OP - that sounds quite unfair. In a previous job I had to wear a skirt below the knee. No idea what is was about trousers......... Unfortunately there was nothing I could do about it. Seems like an odd distinction to make though. Surely you need to look smart and presentable, that should be his main issue?!!

macy9

I see solicitors all the time walking between the 4 courts to the bar council in short skirts and big heels and quite frankly they look ridiculous. Its clearly not about fashion, believe me. Its some sort of alpha female, trying desperatley to promote something trip, but failing miserably. And no tights in january....please. Enough. :pac:

John Mason

wooo:D

i was a legal secretary for years and like you done a lot court work but my boss refused to let us wear trousers, apparently it was not appropriate

nuac

Macey9 - why would solicitors be walking between the Four Courts and Bar Council?

I see no problem with solicitors wearing short skirts and high heels, provided always and without departing from the generality of the above that they are female.

Jo King

nuac wrote: »

Macey9 - why would solicitors be walking between the Four Courts and Bar Council?

Other means of travelling between the Four Courts and the Bar Council are too inconvenient. They are mostly carrying papers so a bicycle is out. It is not worth the effort to wait for a taxi, put all of the papers in and pay a fare for a 100 yard drive, only to have to take all of the papers out of the taxi again. The bus stop on the far side of the Bar Council is greater than the distance between the Four Courts and the Bar Council so no point in getting the bus.

Johnny Utah

McCrack wrote: »

I've come across some solicitors stuck in a time warp. You can tell their ilk from their letter style and tone. One sole practitioner I know of sent correspondence typed using a type-writer! I checked him in the Directory and he qualified in the 50's. Still no excuse though. Same thing with the skirts on women.

:eek::eek::eek:

Murder, she wrote! :eek:.....

dats_right

Jo King wrote: »

Other means of travelling between the Four Courts and the Bar Council are too inconvenient. They are mostly carrying papers so a bicycle is out. It is not worth the effort to wait for a taxi, put all of the papers in and pay a fare for a 100 yard drive, only to have to take all of the papers out of the taxi again. The bus stop on the far side of the Bar Council is greater than the distance between the Four Courts and the Bar Council so no point in getting the bus.

I think the point was probably that solicitors wouldn't generally have much business going to the Bar Council building, certainly not on any regular basis or in noticeable numbers. However, on the other hand, barristers who have their rooms and facilities in their professional bodies building, would in far greater numbers and with much greater frequency 'travel' between the Four Courts and the Bar Council building.

This being so, it is likely that the original comment by Macy viz: "I see solicitors all the time walking between the 4 courts to the bar council in short skirts and big heels and quite frankly they look ridiculous", was far more likely to be referring to barristers than solicitors.

Muree

dats_right wrote: »

This being so, it is likely that the original comment by Macy viz: "I see solicitors all the time walking between the 4 courts to the bar council in short skirts and big heels and quite frankly they look ridiculous", was far more likely to be referring to barristers than solicitors.

Agree. More than likely female barristers in their early years of practice wearing Manolos and ludicrous tights. The Manolos alone generally cost more than a junior barrister's entire yearly earnings...

Victor

If its not in your contract, bill you boss for three long skirts.

nuac wrote: »

Macey9 - why would solicitors be walking between the Four Courts and Bar Council?

To see their boyfriends for lunch? :pac:

Two solicitors I dealt with, the boss wore trousers, the junior a long skirt. The boss is now (female) judge. I doubt she had problems telling people she wasn't a secretary.

A friend is an auditor and was wearing a three-piece suit outside the district court and had "Anto" ask him if he could represent him.

I think the morning suits can be a bit much - I was once tempted to try to order a drink.

I think there would be a lot of sense if they all wore identical gowns, save some distinguishing mark or colour to separate judge / barrister / solicitor.

Jo King wrote: »

Other means of travelling between the Four Courts and the Bar Council are too inconvenient. They are mostly carrying papers so a bicycle is out. It is not worth the effort to wait for a taxi, put all of the papers in and pay a fare for a 100 yard drive, only to have to take all of the papers out of the taxi again. The bus stop on the far side of the Bar Council is greater than the distance between the Four Courts and the Bar Council so no point in getting the bus.

Don't forget the Luas.