Dress for Success
How you look in court can make a difference.

By Angel Fogah

Not long ago my co-workers at Represent and I visited Manhattan Family Court, and were allowed to watch some of the cases. When the judge called one case, a young man walked in wearing a baggy shirt and pants. He had that ghetto swagger that a lot of young men carry today. He had a scowl on his face and looked to me like he did not want to be there.

I assumed he was a bad kid and that he probably did something he wasn’t supposed to. But it turned out that he was there to ask the judge about his college tuition, which amazed me.

He seemed to hold an attitude like he didn’t care, but he did. He was actually a hard worker with two jobs on top of school. He was doing great.

‘All Eyes Are On You’

Even though the judge treated him fairly, I wanted to tell the young man, “The fact that you came to court looking like you didn’t give a damn really made you seem like a nobody. In the future, you should think about the first impression you make. There’s no reason to risk being misinterpreted as a hoodlum.”

I think kids in care are judged all the time, and when you set foot in the courtroom, all eyes are on you. The way you carry yourself says a lot.

‘The Judge Looked At Me Funny’

That’s a lesson I learned from personal experience. When I was going through some tough times, I ran away from home. A few months later, the police picked me up from school and took me straight to court.

Well, I was in my ripped jeans and a T-shirt and had on a pair of messed up Converse, and makeup around my eyes. In my opinion I looked fine, but to adults I probably looked like some crazed out teen.

When my mother saw me she was disgusted. She looked like she’d swallowed vinegar, she had such a sour expression on her face. Then the judge looked at me funny. I felt the eyes.

At that moment I feared the judge would not listen to my side of the story, because compared to me, my mom looked more like someone you’d want to believe.

My Clean New Look

Luckily, my law guardian (in a suit) did the talking that day. But ever since then, I’ve made sure that I look nice in court. My law guardian always compliments me on how I look and act during the case.

I know that my mother will observe everything I am wearing. I want to show her that I can take of myself and, yes, I am doing well. I want the judge to see a mature young lady who knows where she is going in life.

The last time I was in court I wore a black pin striped skirt with a black and white shirt and heels. And, like always, I made sure to have a positive attitude.

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