How soon will I need to suit up?

[wideload]

As the law school journey is finally about to unfold this September, I'm trying to prepare myself for what is coming. Should I have a set of formal apparel ready to go by the orientation? What would generally be the first occasion that students need to suit up? Thank you! 

[Panda]

Yes. You should have a suit in case it’s needed. It doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive but you’ll be scrambling if you are required to have one and don’t.

With that being said, I recommend against breaking the bank to buy one. Most of the law firms I know of don’t require a full suit and tie in the ordinary course as of now.

[Pantalaimon]

You'll only need one for a bit, but yes there will be some receptions where you'll want formal attire.

[Masterchief117]

This is a good question, I think OP is asking what should he wear day to day to law school? should he wear a more formal button up and dress pants every day or a jeans and a shirt would suffice?

[Snax]

52 minutes ago, Masterchief117 said:

This is a good question, I think OP is asking what should he wear day to day to law school? should he wear a more formal button up and dress pants every day or a jeans and a shirt would suffice?

You’re a law student and don’t know the answer to the question that you posed? 
 

Never mind, I just looked at your post history and you haven’t started law school yet. The answer is no, you don’t need to dress formally on a day to basis and no one dresses this way aside from maybe one or two outliers who just love their suit and tie. 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Snax

[Professor Lupin]

1 hour ago, Snax said:

You’re a law student and don’t know the answer to the question that you posed? 
 

Never mind, I just looked at your post history and you haven’t started law school yet. The answer is no, you don’t need to dress formally on a day to basis and no one dresses this way aside from maybe one or two outliers who just love their suit and tie. 

Off the top of my head the only reason someone comes suited up to class is if they are involved in a moot or have an interview that's close to their class time. The overwhelming majority are dressed casually. 

[SNAILS]

I wore a suit during two moots (both in the winter and not fall term). I also wore it during various interviews for clinics/intensives. I have gained a few pounds, and my old suit does not fit me. I just bought a new suit yesterday because my summer work will require it. I need to wait two weeks for it to get hemmed, and I only mention that to illustrate how quickly things can go from "I don't need a suit" to "I need a suit ASAP."

That being said, a nice pair of dress pants, shirt, tie, and nice shoes will suffice as a substitute in my opinion.

FYI most people dressed casually for their 1L moots.

[Ramesses]

Congrats! Law school day to day is casual. Most people show up in shorts, jeans, sweats, etc.

However, you would need a suit (or two) for networking events/receptions, presentations/moots, etc. The reason I say two suits is because I only had one during recruit and food was spilt on me during one of the dinner. I had no back up suit for the next day so I spent several hours that night trying to get the stain and smell out. Definitely not a fun experience.

Oops, to your point, the earliest is the first day for photos. Not everyone wears a suit, but a significant amount do. At my school, we also had receptions all week so I got a lot of use out of my suit that week. 

Edited April 21, 2022 by Ramesses

[Lilbb19]

I went through all of law school without a suit🤣

[Whist]

You should have at least one handy. First year moots will require one, and depending on what kind of practical/clinic experience you're doing, you'll need one for that too. Some of them have you being present in court pretty quickly.