Lawyers' outfits in Fox's Justice?

[josepidal]

What do you guys think of the lawyers' ensembles in Justice, that new legal drama by Fox starring Victor Garber and friends? They seem pretty interesting for TV depictions of lawyers, and don't seem to follow the usual advice of toning down if you're a defense lawyer before a jury.

 

[GreyFlannelMan]

I don't watch the show. His ensemble is not that flashy, save for the pocket square. He's better dressed than most litigators I've seen. They would typically have suits that fit poorly, and few, at least at the associate level, would have the courage or confidence to wear purple. Then again, I worked in the stifling corporate environment of BigLaw. Members of the plaintiff's bar seem to dress a little flashier...

 

[DocHolliday]

Are the clothes flashier than on "Boston Legal"?

 

[Get Smart]

I didnt think the clothes were flashy on Justice, they look nicely put together tho. It's a good uber-sensationalistic show, I like the "CSI-ness" of it and it's very entertaining. Good enough to get Tivo'd weekly

 

[retronotmetro]

Originally Posted by josepidal

They seem pretty interesting for TV depictions of lawyers, and don't seem to follow the usual advice of toning down if you're a defense lawyer before a jury.


I suspect that many good criminal defense attorneys would tell you that such "advice" is bullshit. I see criminal defense attorneys wearing conspicuous getups in jury trials every day. They may tell their clients to dress conservatively, but that doesn't apply to counsel. For example, Johnnie Cochran rode his crazy wardrobe to many acquittals, and it is commonly thought that he wore things like raspberry colored suits to keep all the attention on himself, rather than on his comparatively sedate-looking clients.

 

[josepidal]

Originally Posted by Get Smart

It's a good uber-sensationalistic show, I like the "CSI-ness" of it and it's very entertaining. Good enough to get Tivo'd weekly
Interesting how they keep inserting mini-lectures on procedural law and evidence into the script.

 

[LabelKing]

Today I saw a lawyer wearing a tan suit with yellow silk shirt, pale lemon tie and various bits of gold jewelry like bracelets, rings, and a tie tack perfectly centered. He also had a bright primrose pocket handkercheif.

 

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by josepidal

Interesting how they keep inserting mini-lectures on procedural law and evidence into the script.

can you imagine a bunch of lawyers in trial explaining every process to themselves and each other as they go along? I also like how when they need a 3-D computer generated rendering of the crime they get it in like 30 minutes. But it's fun.

 

[retronotmetro]

Originally Posted by josepidal

Interesting how they keep inserting mini-lectures on procedural law and evidence into the script.

Originally Posted by Get Smart

can you imagine a bunch of lawyers in trial explaining every process to themselves and each other as they go along? I also like how when they need a 3-D computer generated rendering of the crime they get it in like 30 minutes. But it's fun.

This is the natural result of Jerry Bruckheimer hiring a veteran federal prosecutor as writer/producer to put the mark of "authenticity" on the show. The legal issues presented in the courtroom scenes will be realistic ones; the attorneys will discuss the issues using realistic analysis; the judge's rulings will track what real judges do; and everything else in the show will be pure Hollywood.

Though they may be fun (for some people, anyways), shows like CSI and Justice really do make life harder for law enforcement agencies and prosecutors.

 

[josepidal]

Harder... how?

Funny thing is I know a forensic expert who teaches a law class she entitled "CSI" and it became really popular. The hitch is she scheduled it on a Saturday morning, right before lunch, and she sometimes went through autopsies.

 

[marc237]

Originally Posted by Get Smart

can you imagine a bunch of lawyers in trial explaining every process to themselves and each other as they go along? I also like how when they need a 3-D computer generated rendering of the crime they get it in like 30 minutes. But it's fun.

In real life, computers always crash when briefs are on deadline, photcopy machines inevitably jam making copies of exhibits, and the document production folk always need a minimum of 48 hours despite their advertising. Other than that, litigation is stress free.

Oh yes, we always sit around and recite FRCP 23 to each other whenever we decide whether to file the action on behalf of a class.

 

[josepidal]

The best part is how they recite it to the judge as well.

 

[retronotmetro]

Originally Posted by josepidal

Harder... how?

Harder because there really are jurors who have been conditioned to think that every piece of physical evidence should have the perp's fingerprints on it, that surveillance video can be enlarged and enhanced so that you can read the number on a credit card in someone's hand 50 yards away from the camera, and that you can identify a suspect by using PCR lab analysis to pull DNA from a single epidermal cell found on a strand of hair being carried by an ant three blocks away from a crime scene.

 

[josepidal]

I also love how all witnesses deliver incredible performances every single time, and in one or two minutes, to boot.

Aside from FRCP, there was one episode how he explained how and why he'd give the defense lawyer a handshake in front of the jury, even.

 

[NYCESQ]

Originally Posted by retronotmetro

I suspect that many good criminal defense attorneys would tell you that such "advice" is bullshit. I see criminal defense attorneys wearing conspicuous getups in jury trials every day. They may tell their clients to dress conservatively, but that doesn't apply to counsel. For example, Johnnie Cochran rode his crazy wardrobe to many acquittals, and it is commonly thought that he wore things like raspberry colored suits to keep all the attention on himself, rather than on his comparatively sedate-looking clients.

As a member of the criminal defense bar, I concur. Unless I am pleading an affirmative defense (e.g. self-defense) where I want the jury to identify and/or sympathize with my client, it is generally my gameplan to deflect much of the jury's attention away from the defendant. If jurors are spending time checking out my wardrobe, they may not be paying attention to critical testimony. It is not uncommon for me to wear pink and lavender shirts, as well as colorful ties. However, some defense lawyers go a bit overboard. Lately, I've seen a lot of pinned collars, watch fobs, jeweled cufflinks, oversize gold watches, alligator shoes, etc. While these accesories, in and of themselves, may not offend the sensibilities of SF members, I have actually seen a number of lawyers wearing them as part of the same ensemble...with braces too, of course. But, it is not my impression that these lawyers dress in such a way to deflect attention from clients, so much as they dress thit way because they don't have a clue. A bit of free legal advice: If your lawyer looks like a clown...get rid of him.