The Wardrobe (pieces):

Suits (2). I assume you have already have the Law School Suit as described here ((Obviously read the article if you have not already)) which means you have either a very dark navy or fairly dark charcoal suit. ((Remember that Target is a good option for the cash strapped, and Brooks Brothers is almost always a good starting place as well)) You will need to purchase whichever of the two you did not buy earlier. The same advice behind the Law School Suit applies to summer clerkship attire. The over riding consideration is a suit that can be worn multiple times each week without being easily noticed. Dark navy and charcoal are different enough to be altered back and forth each day. Instead of buying five $300 suits from Men’s Warehouse, ((Men’s Warehouse is generally not a good option for anything except socks)) buy make sure you have two high quality suits that can hold up to repeated wearing. Choosing wisely now will save money down the road when you become a real lawyer and only need to buy three more suits instead of five because the glue suits you bought fell apart before graduation.

Shirts (5). Purchase five identical white cotton dress shirts. The collars should be straight, they should be ready for removable collar stays, and the buttons should not be plastic. As described here, get a standard one button cuff instead of any type of French cuff. The choice of a pocket is up to you, but choose the same for each shirt. A white dress shirt embodies everything you need to know about how to dress for a summer clerkship. It is plain, boring, and highly functional if chosen correctly. With five dress shirts they can be worn each day of the week, and there is no need to ever wear a dirty shirt to work under any circumstance. If buying custom shirts (whether bespoke or made to measure) have the first one made to make sure the fit is proper. Adjustments can be made to the subsequent shirts, but make sure they are bought from the same place.

Shoes (2). See this article which explains oxfords and bluchers are the two options for style. Make sure you have one pair of black and the other pair are brown. What will be most important about shoes during the summer will be making sure both are always shined and well cared for. The stories of crazy old hiring partners who made decisions on the future of law school clerks based on their shoes care should motivate any ambitious young man to get up ten minutes early every morning to shine their shoes. Also, consider getting a professional shine once a month if possible.

Socks (5). Socks need to match or be slightly lighter than the suit trousers. As there are only two pairs of trousers it makes choosing the socks fairly easy. Your feet will thank you for choosing thin socks made of moisture controlling material.

Ties (5). Since the suits are plain and the shirts are white just about any tie is going to work just fine. This is an opportunity to add a small amount of personal style to the wardrobe, but only to a certain degree. Do not buy any of the thousands of silly novelty ties, or odd color combinations. Stay conservative, but feel free to add some color. Skinny ties are a good choice, but not punk rocker skinny.

These are the basics that will be sufficient for a summer clerkship in any firm or prosecution office. The summer clerkship who follows this advice will look sharp, without trying too hard to look like a lawyer.

Technology Blogs

Jim Calloway’s Law Practice Tips - The best legal blog focused on gadgets. A must read.

Law Tech Guru - Four years of extensive archives on gadgets and web technology that effects lawyers.

Dennis Kennedy Blog - Many consider Kennedy to be the most knowledgeable technologists/lawyers out there. He writes for a number of blogs and networks, but his homepage is his best stuff.

TechnoLawyer Blog - A good source for learning about different gadgets and legal software for lawyers.

General Lawyer Blogs

Law Blog - The Wall Street Journal’s blog about the business of law. Usually one of the first to report on major events effecting lawyers. A must read for Big Law in particular.

My Shingle - One of the earliest blogs written by a lawyer, it details life as a solo practitioner. A great resource and advocate for other solos, and small firm attorneys.

Greatest American Lawyer - A witty blog primarily about the practice of law.

Above the Law - Gossip blog focused on Big Law associate salaries and the occasional law school scandal. A guilty pleasure.

Brian Leiter’s Law School Reports - If law professor hiring and law school rankings interest you, this blog is the your new best friend.

Law Student Blogs

Amicus Curiae - A shockingly candid law school blog written semi-anonymously by a former UT Law student.

Buffalo Wings & Vodka - The subtitle to the blog says “There is Nothing Funny About Law School,” but the blog itself proves the opposite to be true. Archives only now.

JD2B - This used to be the best place to get “breaking news” about law school. It has turned into a giant advertisement, but still worth checking out for law students.

Mac Law Students - As the name suggests, a resource for law students using or considering a Mac. We are partial to Macs and used them in law school.

Shoulder Flares. The Hanger Project uses 2.5″ shoulder flares that extend deep into the suit.

Proper Width. Rather than a single width, there are three available. The proper width is needed to create a natural shoulder profile. For men who wear a 42 jacker or small choose the 17,” for jackets 43-46 choose the 18.5,” and for larger jackets choose the 20.”

Felted Trouser Bar. Every good tailor will tell you a felt bar for pants is a no brainer. The felt essentially “locks” the pants in place. Instead of the occasional crease a locking mechanism causes, the pants will be smooth.

Construction. The hangers are made of maple wood and should last far longer than any suit.

As much as this article must sound like an advertisement, the reality is there really is nothing to criticize. There is not a better hanger widely available and the price is more than fair. They call it the “best hanger for the best clothes.” It is a bold statement, but one that is accurate.

Unfortunately, there is no suit currently being marketed under a Law School Clothing Line. No problem, let’s just identify where the suit will need to be worn:

1. Interviews. Regardless of what you may have written on your law school application, the goal is to get a good job. So whether you are trying to get on with Skadden, the public defender’s office, or a judicial internship (that is what they are generally called during the first summer, it is a judicial clerkship after graduation) you will be interviewing during the the spring;
2. Cocktail Receptions. Many law students’ favorite part of law school is going to fancy cocktail receptions paid for by Big Law. They are typically business casual, but unless you have a sport jacket you will need to wear a suit; and
3. Other Stuff. A variety of other things can come up during first year where a suit will come in handy. These include conferences, symposiums, professor funerals (they seem to die with regularity and usually involve professors teaching first year courses for some reason), and possibly even a wedding (though divorces during law school are more typical during first year while weddings are typical after third year).

Color

Since this suit needs to be able to handle interviews it needs to be dark, but not black. That means either very dark navy or a fairly dark charcoal. Both colors are appropriate for professional interviews, but because they are not black can be worn to social events without making you look like you came for a wake.

Style

Since this is an all around suit it needs to avoid bringing attention to itself. Go with:

1. Three buttons. Four buttons, two buttons, and one button are somewhat popular right now, but save those for a different suit;
2. Notched lapels. Peak lapels are for tuxedos and…well that is the only time to have peak lapels;
3. Flat front. Unless you are overweight or over forty (there are plus forty first year law students believe it or not) do not get pleats;
4. Wool. A lightweight wool is going to be the way to go for almost everyone because it is likely to be warm weather when the suit will be warm. It goes without saying, but do not get a cotton or seersucker suit (yet); and
5. Single Breasted. DO NOT get a double breasted suit. Under any circumstances. None. I will not explain. Just google “double breasted suit” and press “images” at the top. The only person who could pull off a double breasted suit was Leo McGarry and he is dead. You are not Leo McGarry.

Options

As Rule 2 points out, there are (almost) always three solid price options for important items. The Law School Suit is no exception.

1. Less Expensive (under $200). You have two choices: new or used. To be honest the better option is to get a used suit, but because some will think buying a used suit is the same as wearing someone else’s dirty underwear both are listed here.

• New: Target. It is shocking of course to think Target might offer quality garments, but remember quality is relative to price. Target markets its suits under the Merona Premium label, but do not be confused: it is the Target house brand. They sell them as separates, but for a suit you need both (obviously) and they need to match (obviously). Despite a combined price of less than $90 they are at least as good as anything at Men’s Warehouse at twice the price, and substantially better than what you will find at Express, Banana Republic, or similar places at three times the price. Right now Target does not have the right navy color (it is too light) so go with charcoal and make sure it is made of wool and NOT POLYESTER (sorry for shouting but it is very important). The suit is off the rack, so you will need to take it to a tailor and get it altered to make sure the sleeves and waist fit properly.
• Used: Ebay. It has everything, so it should not be terribly surprising they sell used suits. There are always great suits available for less than $200 and usually less than $100. As of right now there are 9,000 suits for sale on Ebay. To clear through the mess you need to first figure out your measurements, and second narrow everything down to a couple of brands. In order to get your measurements go to a tailor and see if they will do it for you (usually they will do it for free) or buy a $1 sewing tape measure at Walmart and ask a friend to help (preferably a woman for the pant inseam). The Modern Lawyer will introduce you to many great clothing lines, but for now just focus on two labels: Canali and Brooks Brothers. Both of these lines are known for their well made canvased suits (Zegna and Corneliani are also good options but harder to find). A gently used suit on Ebay from either Canali or Brooks Brothers will still have plenty of life in it. Steer clear of the brands you have probably heard more about: Hugo Boss, Armani, and Ralph Lauren.

2. Mid-Range ($500-$1000). In this range you will find new suits from the used category described above. In some cases you will need find them on sale, but Sierra Trading Post is the best place to start looking. Despite sounding like an outdoor hunting and fishing outlet, Sierra Trading Post carries excellent business clothing. They are a particularly good spot to shop for suits and shoes on sale. Canali, Corneliani, Isaia are the best options. The safest option is to simply go to a Brooks Brothers store and buy from their 1818 Suit Collection line.

3. High End ($1000+). Spending over $1,000 on a Law School Suit is probably overkill, but just in case the thinking is “I will spend whatever on a suit that will last ten years and look fantastic,” here are a couple of options:

• Try and book an appointment with Thomas Mahon when he comes to the United States. He has made suits for the likes of Prince Charles, and he writes a blog about bespoke tailoring at the English Cut. He is considered one of the best tailors in the world, and one of his suits will cost about $4,000.
• Try and book an appointment with W.W. Chan & Sons when they comes to the United States. They are based in Hong Kong and have an excellent reputation in the custom suit world. They will make a custom suit pattern for you and then keep in on file. As you order additional clothing from them they will tweak everything to keep getting a better and better fit. Their prices are $1,000-$1,500 and you can find out more at their website.

Once the suit is picked out, all that is left are tie, shoes, socks, shirt, watch, and belt. Check back to the Modern Lawyer for suggestions on those items, and more.

For lawyers their new winter line is full of great pieces for Fridays and weekend office visits, for law students (almost) an entire wardrobe can be built out of their classic look.

It was not long ago I would have laughed at anyone who suggested J. Crew and lawyers could go together. It seemed as if they were trying marry Eddie Bauer to Express for Men. The result was they were in no man’s land. I had just about written J. Crew off completely before stumbling into a store recently. What I found surprised me. They still have many of the off the wall sweaters and cardigans, but they also have a number of perfect pieces for the right occasion. The last bit being key. You need to be careful when going into a store like J. Crew. Much of what they sale is not appropriate for a lawyer to wear under any circumstance. The requirements for young lawyers and law students are different, here is what I recommend for each:

Law Students

• Sport Coat. The best option is their Washed Corduroy Sport. This coat, which costs around $100, can become a workhorse for three long years of law school events. The brown color allows it to easily be worn with either khakis or jeans. Perfect for Thursday night bar review, a date with a classmate, or showing up at a death penalty debate. Be careful when wearing it to class, if your classmates do not typically wear sportcoats to class, wearing this one is a recipe for getting called upon. Also consider the Washed Wool Herringbone Sportcoat (described below in the products for lawyers).
• Shirts. Law students do not need a bunch of dress shirts, but they do need a solid supply of long sleeve button up shirts. J. Crew is probably the best bet for casual button ups. They have a shocking variety of styles and patterns to chose, and the $60 price is somewhat reasonable. I suggest sticking with their oxfords. These can be easily paired with jeans or khakis, and then layered for whatever is occasion is appropriate.

Young Lawyers

• Sport Coats. The Washed Wool Herringbone Sportcoat, which retails for about $250, should be considered for colder climates, and offices that do not require suits on Friday. The English wool is going to be fairly heavy making it good for winter, bad for the rest of the year. Like the cordouroy described above, this sportcoat can easily be dressed up or down as the occasion requires. The style is classic with notch lapels, three button closure, and back vent.
• Top Coat. Sticking with the Herribone theme, J. Crew’s topcoat is not much different in design than the sportcoat described above. There is nothing fancy to it, and that is just what a young lawyer needs in their topcoat. The $350 price is no bargain and do not get a topcoat until many other more important pieces are in your wardrobe.

What to avoid

• Argyle Sweaters. This pattern did not look good three years ago when it popped up everywhere. Nothing has changed.
• Cardigans. They are really pushing the cardigan comeback, but it just looks old no matter how skinny the tie their models wear.
• Sweater vests. A possible exception can be made if bought for a winter golf trip.
• Tartan patterned ties. No explanation is necessary I hope.
• Any of their dress shoes. A good pair of dress shoes can not be bought anywhere for less than $300. Their dress shoes cost around $160. Sometimes it is that easy.

There are hundreds of wireless headsets on the market, but I recommend Aliph’s because of its revolutionary feature called “Noise Shield.” Normally talking on a headset is similar to conversing via speaker phone: the person you are talking to can hear everything going on around you. Either they will have a hard time hearing you, or will wonder why it sounds like you are standing under an airplane. The Noise Shield changes all of that. I would not believe it unless I actually saw and used the product, but it actually works. In fact it works perfectly. When making phone calls in the car I have found the person on the other end can tell no difference between when I speak to them in my office. For the young lawyer that should mean more billable hours, and safer driving.

My only complaint is that you have to actually turn the Noise Shield on, as opposed to it automatically starting when making or receiving a phone call. Still it is a much better product than anything else I have seen, and its $130 price tag will quickly pay for itself. Just do not wear it to the grocery store or while in the line at Starbucks.

For other reviews:
Gizmodo
CNET
Crunchgear

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