Courtroom attire.

• Jurisdiction: United States

Section 128. Courtroom attire.—When in Rome, do as the top-drawer Romans do. This precept is particularly applicable as a guide to what the properly dressed lawyer will wear while arguing a case in an appellate court.

In most appellate courts, it is customary to wear simply a business suit. Where that custom obtains, it would be a mistake to appear in more formal attire. But a decent respect for the bench requires that the lawyer's suit be dark and reasonably conservative, and that his tie be not too strikingly chromatic.

At the same time, the latitude of colors permitted one's garments may well vary with the geographical latitude involved. A white linen suit would probably be regarded differently in Boston than in New Orleans; in any event, make your inquiry in advance so that what you wear conforms to the customs of the bar. On occasion, the practice in the Federal court may be different from that of the local court. Thus, although the advocate in the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, in accordance with the old Spanish...