Personal Isn't Private
My colleague, Carey Bertolet from BCG's New York office makes the case that what you do outside of work can affect your reputation. I'm not sure that being disheveled in public is necessarily always bad (if you are at a baseball game, etc.); but maybe it is a gender thing. Women tend to be judged more by their appearance than men. Or maybe, as my wife likes to remind me, I'm clueless about how I look sometimes.
Her warnings are very sound, though. Particularly in an electronic age where digital is forever. For example, I wonder what respectable firm will want to hire this BC Law School student. Clearly she is very photogenic; but what on earth was she thinking when she sat for that photo shoot.
Her warnings are very sound, though. Particularly in an electronic age where digital is forever. For example, I wonder what respectable firm will want to hire this BC Law School student. Clearly she is very photogenic; but what on earth was she thinking when she sat for that photo shoot.
posted by Stephen Seckler, Esq. at 5:18 PM
4 Comments:
You're right when you ask, "...what respectable firm will want to hire" her; but if the question is rhetorical - it perhaps makes one or another incorrect assumptions: 1) many, less-than-respectable law firms may not have a problem at all in hiring her, and/or 2) why should we think Ms. Adrienne is even interested in a "respectable law firm" when clearly respect, at least self-respect, is something lacking from her assets.
The criticism of this woman is the height of hypocrisy. First, ask any business person and they will say that all lawyers are what you imply of this person. Disrespectable or worse. Second, they would say that "respectable law firm" is an oxymoron. Third, since when does modeling preclude you from the practice of law. Are Heidi Klum and Paulina Poriskova disrespectable because they have successful modeling careers? Finally, if you think that brains and beauty don't give you an advantage across a negotiating table or in front of a jury, you don't live in the real world. Most law firms will value that more than "respectability." Put it another way, if she needs a job and has the brains, I'd hire her because if she has the brains, the beauty is just an added asset.
I think the real issue is that doing something like this shows poor judgment. In this day and age, posing fully clothed is hardly scandalous (just look at the underwear ads in any daily paper--most of us would consider those ordinary commercialism); but posing in such a provocative way in a tabloid sends the wrong message about what is important to this individual.
Of course good looks can give you an advantage in life (and maybe even in front of a jury!) But flaunting your sexuality in a highly public way ignores the reality that some small segment of the population will find it offensive (or at the very least, unbecoming of someone they want to entrust their legal affairs with).
Like it or not, law is still a conservative business and it is not a smart career move to act in a brazen fashion. It just sends the message that you are naive about how the world works. This in turn may make an employer wonder what you might do in front of clients.
Maybe I think differently. I have always been bad at politics and appearance. I certainly understand the fact that the young do foolish things that may be detrimental to themselves and their future. Maybe all I am saying is that, although a segment of the population will judge this young person by her photo shoot, they shouldn't, or at the very least they should withhold judgment until they find fault with her legal work.
I agree, however that the law is a conservative business (or at least certain segments of it are conservative) and this might not be a smart career move if she wants a job in a prestigious, Boston, New York, Washington kind of firm. On the other hand in an LA entertainment practice, she might fit in quite nicely. And she might also fit in well as a trial lawyer in a firm in which she is in front of a jury. Criminals don't care so much about appearances, just results.
Finally, I had to say this, speaking of conservative, the proper phrasing of the paranthetical in your second paragraph should be "unbecoming of someone to whom they want to entrust their legal affairs." My grandmother made me do it.
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