The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Unsolicited Advice: Right Size = Right Message

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    Ruth Carter

    For many years, I have said that I’m a gay man trapped in a woman’s body.  This semester I feel like I’m being beckoned to jump on my fashion soapbox.  I have noticed an ongoing problem in the courtroom: people wearing suits that are too small.  I’ve seen this problem across the board, from law  students to judges, in men and women equally.  At first I thought it was just me, until I shared my observations with two judges.  They both responded with an astounding, “Yes!”

    Ernest Peixotto
    Image by Smithsonian Institution via Flickr

    A person that dresses according to the needs of the body that they have, as opposed to the body that they wish they had or used to have, they exude a stronger sense of confidence.  When a person is presenting their case in court, they need to appear strong, solid, and trustworthy.  If the person cannot see and accept the truth about their own size, how can they be trusted to speak the  truth about the case at hand?

    Tim Gunn said it best when he said that you should consider, “silhouette, proportion, and fit” when selecting your clothes.  Some clothes are little more forgiving.  For example, jeans – if they are  touch to snug when you first put them on, they’ll loosen in up a few hours.  A suit, however, has no give.  If you think it’s too tight, it’s too tight.

    Most people who are wearing the wrong size suit, are only off by one size, like a woman who is a size 8 and squeezes herself into a size 6.  I want to share some of the visual give aways that you’re wearing the wrong size suit.  I have seen all of these fashion problems in the law school or at the court this semester.

    Let’s start with the jacket.  The shoulder seams should sit on the end of the shoulder.  The arms should fit comfortably in the sleeves.  If the upper arm is too tight, there will be bunching, which gives you the “sausage arm” look.  Buttoning the jacket should not take an effort or require you to suck in your stomach.  You never want the judge to be afraid that a button might fly off your suit and hit her in the face.

    Like the jacket, there should not be any bunching in the pants or skirt.  When a man’s pants are too tight, he risks having bunching in the crotch area.  Women are likely to have bunching through the thighs if they’re wearing pants and in the midsection if they’re wearing skirts.  The length of the skirt should also be such that you don’t have to pull on your hem when you stand up.

    Beyond wearing the proper size suit, I support people using fashion to display their personality.  When deviating from the norm in a formal business environment, such a court room, it must be done impeccably.  One of my classmates walked into his final mock trial today rocking a pair of suspenders and a fedora with his suit.  He looked fantastic!  Other fashion signature pieces could be a bow tie, a necktie on a woman, cuff links, a paisley pocket square, a brooch, or an untraditional hairstyle.  Just be sure that what you’re wearing does not distract the court or detract from your message.

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  • Igniting My Legal Passion

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    Ruth Carter

    Last week I was sitting in copyright class – bored, tired, and grumpy.  About ten minutes into class I looked over at my friend Ken and asked, “Are we done, yet?”

    I keep an eye on my Twitter feed during class in case anything interesting happens.   Yes, I’m on the internet in class – it’s part of networking.  I saw that my friend Jeff tweeted that he was “stunned” by a recent submission for Ignite Phoenix #9.  It was a submission from a 16 year-old who was the product of rape and who wanted to talk about her experience growing up without a dad.

    185/365 From a little spark bursts a mighty flame
    Image by Mykl Roventine via Flickr

    Whoa!  This girl already has my respect just for wanting to talk about such a powerful topic.  My mind instantly went into hyperdrive with a myriad of legal questions.

    • Do we have to get parental consent to let this girl speak on stage about this topic?
    • Does Ignite Phoenix’s relationships with its presenters constitute contracts?
    • Can a 16 year-old enter into contract in Arizona?
    • Do we need parental consent to put a minor’s presentation on YouTube?
    • Was that guy who spoke about Star Wars at Ignite Phoenix #6 an adult?  He looked about 14.
    • Can we let her use the rapist’s name or image if he wasn’t convicted?

    Then I thought, “Bah- why aren’t I a lawyer yet?!”  I hate having my hands tied because I’m still a law student – a cute law student, but a law student nonetheless; and therefore, I cannot give legal advice.  I told Jeff to let me know if he needed me to look up any laws for the Ignite Phoenix crew.

    As frustrating as this experience was, I’m really glad I had it.  It reminded me of what my passions are and the type of work I want to do after I graduate.  I love working with random questions, real-life issues, collaborating with creative and innovative people, and finding a way to make things happen.

    As I walked out of class, I was still the sleep-deprived student who walked in, but my energy was back.  It has been stressful to think about what I’m going to do during my life after law school, but this experience showed me that I’m on the right track.   I tweeted, “I got a glimpse into the professional life I want to have as a lawyer today…now I just need someone to pay me to do it.”

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  • No Love from ASU Law School for Current or Future Students

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    Ruth Carter

    This past week, Elie Mystal of Above the Law wrote a biting and brilliant article about Dean Berman‘s announcement that he intended to make the law school at Arizona State University less reliant on state funding.  Berman’s plan went from intriguing to horrifying when he said that he planned to do this by increasing the size of the law school student body and increasing tuition.

    Seriously?!?

    Mystal was on the right path when he said Berman’s plan would result in more unemployed lawyers with mountains of debt.  What he doesn’t realize is that ASU is already passed the capacity of its current facilities.  Where are they going to put another 30 people?  Furthermore, job prospects for law graduates in Arizona currently suck in this economy.  Is it ethical to flood the market with lawyers who can’t get jobs?

    ASU Sign (1)
    Image by John M. Quick via Flickr

    I can understand Berman’s desire to be less reliant to state funding.  I’m sure some of his plans were derailed when the state budget for education was slashed.  I understand and generally respect the concept that people should pay top dollar for quality products.  However, asking students at a public university to carry this burden is asking too much.  And pissing off future alums by robbing them blind won’t help the school’s fundraising efforts.

    In the National Law Journal, Berman said, “We’re expanding the scope of legal education.”  Is he referring to the cubic buttload of clinics, journals, and programs that have been added to the school since he became the dean?  Being a student at ASU Law, it seems like a new program is added every 30 seconds.  It seems like every time someone mentions the idea of starting something new at the school, Berman approves it.  I’ve been wondering where the school was getting the money to pay for all this.  I don’t know where it was coming from but now we know who will be footing the bill in the future – the students!  If the students are paying for everything, the school shouldn’t be expanding.  It should be focusing on doing a few things well – like preparing students to be actual lawyers with real lawyering skills.

    Now, I take my fair share of flack for dissing my school while I’m still a student.  I’m not saying everything about it is bad – there are some awesome people at the school.  But from an administrative perspective, the school doesn’t seem to care about its students.  The most glaring proof of this are the decisions that are made to impress and entice potential students, but have limited usefulness to current students.  Have you seen the new website?  How about the new fancy desks that aren’t big enough to comfortably accommodate a laptop?  Or the classroom configurations that are a pain in the ass to navigate?  How many students were consulted before these decisions were made?  One current professor said probably zero.  There’s a lot of flash and sparkle without much utility.

    You know what bothers me the most about Berman’s plan?  At a recent town hall meeting, Berman said, “”I never would have come if I knew they were going to privatize the law school.”  I know he said this because, (1) I was there, and (2) I immediately tweeted that quote out to the universe.  (Isn’t technology a bitch?)  If the dean of my law school is a walking contradiction, I’m pissed about how this institution is treating its students and severely concerned for its future.

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