A Texas lawyer recently shared an incident in which a judge criticised her outfit in front of colleagues and clients, the New York Post reported. Mariah Medina, a criminal defence lawyer and former TV news journalist based in San Antonio, shared her experience on social media following a brief hearing at the Bexar County Government building. According to Medina, the judge called her out for wearing a knee-length, sleeveless grey J.Crew shift dress, reportedly saying it was unsuitable for the courtroom.
"This is what I was wearing today when a judge said that I was inappropriately dressed for court," Medina wrote on X (formerly Twitter) Monday. "It's a dress I've worn on air countless times and a dress that I have worn to other courts without issue. I was confused, so I explained that it's a shift dress."
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Medina recounted that the judge asked her to walk around the bench to inspect her outfit. "She had me come around the bench so she could see my outfit... in front of defendants and other lawyers. She laughed and asked if I really believed that my dress was appropriate for a jury trial... then asked me if I had a blazer in my car."
"Such a disappointing interaction and a first since licensure."
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See the post here:
Surprised by the reaction, Medina publicly defended the design of her clothing. She even posted an archived video clip of herself wearing the exact same outfit while reading news on-air during her journalism career.
She emphasised that the dress met the posted courthouse rules, which generally require standard business attire, with specific variations left to individual judicial discretion.
Social media reactions
The incident went viral and sparked debate, with some users speaking in support of the lawyer, while others arguing that courtrooms carry strict traditional standards and that a sleeveless garment must be paired with a jacket or blazer.
"Retired lawyer. 42 years. Over 100 jury trials in state and federal courts. Dozens of oral arguments in state appellate courts and the 9th Circuit. The dress is fine. The judge was being petty. Publicly shaming you was way out of line," one user wrote in the comment section.
"If a judge says it's inappropriate to wear in their courtroom. It's inappropriate end of discussion," another user said.
"I think ppl are confusing inappropriate with the judge just didn't like what you were wearing, even the judge. She could have pulled you to side and told you she wanted you to wear sleeves in your next court appearance rather than trying to publicly humiliate you & label your," a third user shared their opinion.
"It's a sleeveless dress, and men also have to cover their shoulders. I do not see sex discrimination in asking all legal professionals to cover their shoulders. Courts are serious places. The priority is the people whose lives may be affected," a fourth user said.
