Related Posts
Bowl Leader
Rising Star
More Posts
Conversation Starter
Headhunter recommendations in London?
Enthusiast
Additional Posts in New York Big Law
NPZ Immigration Lawyers call for Humanitarian Restraint on the part of the US Government given the tragic events that have confronted this family!
https://www.univision.com/local/nueva-york-wxtv/lucha-por-no-ser-deportada-el-doble-drama-que-vive-una-abuela-hispana-cuya-hija-tiene-severo-dano-cerebral-video
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
I think this is a very personal choice and firm/group dependent. I wouldn’t say they’re exactly accepted in my firm/my group, but no one has ever said anything about it to me. I am also fairly well regarded in my group/my firm more broadly. Someone once told me that you can be as eccentric as you are competent and I took that to heart.
For context, I am now a 6th year woman with four tattoos (one visible in certain situations in summer/spring and one always visible (although I got it during covid, so it’s going to be a surprise for them 😂)) and a nose ring. I also always wear black nails and will probably return with somewhat purple hair (think the underside).
Love “you can be as eccentric as you are competent”!!!
The voices of concern aren’t the loud ones in clear opposition. It’s the ones who whisper behind closed doors during meetings about your bonus, salary and career trajectory. You don’t always know who is on your side. Don’t take lack of negative feedback as acceptance. As another commenter said, as women we have to be extra careful.
100%
No way dude. As a fellow woman (and a woman of color), the odds are already stacked against us. If you want to stay in biglaw for the foreseeable future, biglaw firms (no matter the individual culture) have not yet reached a point where visible tattoos are ok. Although wary to tell women what to do with their bodies, I would caution against this.
Have never seen a visible tattoo in 15 years practicing in biglaw in NYC. Would definitely have been judged in past. Not sure about now. Would not risk it if you want to stay in biglaw.
Do what you want!
Senior associate here. Lots of ppl are ok with it but I’m also sure some ppl will judge. I happen to be the latter, but I will not say anything negative in front of ppl b/c that would be uncool. But who cares what I think? (Though some partners that matter might think similarly.)
Also this is not something I would not say irl but this is probably less risky if your pedigree is super prestigious.
A2, that is kind of the point. The display is also a form of communication that shows the person doesn’t give af about their career reputation risk, whether bc they are a badass, or don’t care about career that much, or are ignorant of the risk.
I’m covered in tattoos and the commenters above are perfect examples of why I never show them. I’m a male and can wear long sleeves and slacks to the office everyday. For a woman, if you want to be known for your pant suit collection, I suppose it’s fine. However, people really don’t want to let go of the tattoos are unprofessional thing and likely never will. Look at the comments above acknowledging that it really has zero impact on you as a person but that they would still find it unprofessional. Those are the sort of people that would be first to run and tell seniors/partners and those sorts are everywhere in this profession. I had sleeves before law school so nothing I can do about it now but if I were you, I’d think about it.
I think this point about having visible tattoos is valid. People will weirdly make assessments about what the tattoo is, so I guess that’s something to keep in mind as well, OP
5th year WOC here. I also love tattoos, have a few large hidden ones and planning to get a sleeve in a near future. I’ve been thinking a lot about whether I would keep them covered at work if I did. I’ve seen one young woman partner with a tattoo on her forearm. I work at a relatively casual non stuffy biglaw firm (partners wear sneakers to the office). Honestly, I think I would mostly try to keep them covered, but wouldn’t be too pressed if I accidentally rolled up my sleeves and someone saw. I’m not sure whether it would harm me professionally, but I’d like to avoid conversations about it, and I know that people would point and ask at work since visible tattoos are so rare in our profession.
Same sort of thing - I am a male third year, is it bad if I get my ear pierced? Feel like I’ll be judged
I’m a male 5th year with a ear piercing. Got it during the pandemic. I’ve got a little clear plastic thing I wear in my ear at client / work events - you can get like a hundred on Amazon for a few bucks. No one’s ever noticed or commented on it. I could probably even wear my ear stud to the office but (as the rest of the comments demonstrate) why risk some boomer WASP clutching their pearls when they decide how much I take home at the end of the year?
While I know many people who have tattoos, I respectfully don’t think it’s professional to show them in some fields. Are you working in the office? Do you have many in-person meetings either internally or with clients? If you’re not in front of others and thinking long-term, you’re okay working remotely and not being face-to-face with clients/going to court, etc., then I’d say go with what you want but otherwise, I’d think of getting tats where they can be covered.
I have a relatively small tattoo on my outer wrist and it’s been visible in meetings with partners and clients, no issues at all. I had co counsel compliment me on it once and start talking about all of his son’s tattoos! Definitely don’t think it’s something to be too concerned over anymore
Some people will be okay with it, but others might not be (you can even see it here). Clearly, the safer route is avoiding it. Otherwise, depends on how much you care about some people misunderstanding you.
Be careful. Many people will look down on you, and you will never know - because they won't admit it. I am not being nasty, I am being realistic. Well-intentioned advice online is dominated by both an air of unreality and an absence of understanding (or outright denial) of commercial consequences. I realise of course that virtue signalling and the 'boosterism' of empty encouragement plays well on social media. In really though, it is self-indulgent, and serves only to mislead people about the actual consequences of their decisions, and thus what in reality what they should do.
Here is an article from The Times (London), from last month: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/seeing-tattoos-makes-me-feel-physically-sick-6gxpjv85t
I've pasted an extract below, but the word limit precludes sharing the entire article. I've therefore pasted a full copy online here: https://pastebin.com/i3FU1DSU
Good luck with whatever you decide to do: at least it should be an informed decision.
"** Seeing tattoos makes me feel physically sick **
- Ubiquity of body art is born out of an existential crisis of humanity in the post-religious world -
Melanie Phillips, The Times, Monday February 07 2022
An anonymous mother has confided on the parenting platform Mumsnet that she is “devastated” by her 26-year-old daughter’s tattoos. Already decorated with numerous body inkings, her daughter showed her mother her new “sleeve” — tattoos covering her whole arm.
The mother wrote: “It’s big, black, bold and bloody awful. I’ve cried over it/her in private! I’ve read up about parents’ reactions to our kids’ tattoos. And we are supposed to be happy that they are expressing themselves. But I’m struggling with that.”
Was her reaction unreasonable, she asked. Some mothers sympathised with her and said they would also be heartbroken. Others, however, accused her of being intrusive, judgmental and weird. “Our bodies are a temple,” said one, so “why not decorate them” with “beautiful art carried on our skin”?
My own reaction to tattoos is visceral. They make me feel physically sick. It’s not so much disapproval as a profound revulsion. Whatever form they take — cute animals, flowery words, abstract swirls of pattern — they are far from being decorative or artistic. [...]
The reason tattoos seem so brutalising is that they embody a kind of desecration, the corruption of something that is pure, precious and the very quintessence of integrity: the body with which we are all born. If our bodies are a temple, it’s because we hold them sacred. As the housing to what religious people would call the soul and the non-religious would eulogise as selfhood, any mutilation of the body — including self-disfigurement — is surely a violation of the supposedly treasured self. [...]"
Ive been thinking a lot about this post since you made it. I’m not sure that I knew there were people who feel physically ill when seeing tattoos, although I guess that makes logical sense. But I’ve decided, there are a lot of people who are disgusted by a lot of things about me. Tattoos can just be another one 😂
I appreciate all the feedback, everyone. The discussion I’ve seen is really helpful and includes some valid points I’ll be taking into consideration!
Are you all serious here saying that if someone has a visible tattoo they would actually risk being hurt financially (not get a bonus) or professionally (not get promoted) just for having the tattoo? Sounds mad. Don’t you just get salary and bonus according to your class year? What would be the actual process for making an exception to this, the sole reason being this person has a tattoo?
In my opinion, visible tatoos can hurt your career, for all that was said above. If you are exceptional and sway those people against tatoos, they might end up having no impact, but you are putting yourself at a disadvantage professionally.
The same applies on how you dress (i.e. wearing a tie when optional) the amount of telework and hours..
You have to decide if you are willing to pay the price