As we continue in our efforts to flatten the curve, one idea has stayed in my mind. Long after we have a vaccine for the Covid-19 and we can return to work in some fashion, several habits we are creating now will remain in place. Most notably, I believe that the rise in the number of meetings we hold via video conference will continue. I believe that many types of meetings/conferences that we had previously had in person will continue as video meetings. So, my question is what is the proper dress code and etiquette for video meetings/conferences?

The courts have been using video conferencing for approximately two weeks. I have noticed that the dress code seems to vary immensely during these conferences, from one judge wearing a suit and blouse to another in a short sleeve white tee shirt and down vest. While most people seem to lean towards casual dress, I have been questioning myself as to what to wear up top (I’m sure most people are wearing sweat pants/leggings/jeans on the bottom). Do I wear makeup? Is a simple black long sleeve tee shirt enough? One lawyer, who knows me very well, gave me a practical piece of advice, wear your black tee shirt and put on a nice scarf. Of course, I choose a Flo Feinberg scarf.

And what are the behavior rules for these meetings? While on a Zoom meeting on my Ipad, I swiped right to see my other friends in the meeting (on an Ipad, you’re limited to 9 people on the screen at a time). Is that rude to do? Do the people you swiped away from know you choose to look at other people? On a recent Zoom meeting a male lawyer took off his blazer, tie, and button-down shirt. While he had a tee shirt on under the button-down shirt, I felt he would not have removed his shirt during a live meeting. Or, maybe he would have?

On Friday, while I was in the middle of an oral argument during a video conference, the judge got up, walked into his kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. I took his actions as a signal that the judge was not interested in the point I was making. And so, I quickly pivoted to something else. In a courtroom there are subtle cues one looks at to determine whether the judge is engaged in your argument. Given the video context of the conference the judge was able to give me on Friday, as what I perceived, a more blatant sign to move on.

How are you dressing and behaving in these video meetings/conferences? Do you find yourself dressing casually? Are you behaving more casually? What are the behavior rules moving forward?