Latham’s San Francisco Lawyers Allowed to Wear Jeans All Summer Long
Lawyers at Latham & Watkins’ San Francisco office can sport jeans all summer long, a break from a policy that allowed “nice blue jeans” only on Fridays.
The firm changed the policy in response to requests by associates and staffers, office managing partner Scott Haber told the Daily Journal (sub. req.). Dressier clothing is required for client meetings or court appearances, though.
Other West Coast law firms allow jeans, but usually on a more limited basis, the Daily Journal says.
At Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in San Francisco, business casual is allowed any day of the week, but jeans are allowed only on Fridays. But at its Silicon Valley office, “a jeans sighting wouldn’t be uncommon on a Tuesday,” the story says.
Other firms allowing jeans on Fridays include Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk & Rabkin in San Francisco, Townsend and Townsend and Crew, and Bingham McCutchen, which requires lawyers who wear jeans to make a small charitable donation.
The atmosphere isn’t as laid back at Bickel & Brewer, where even the mailroom clerks where suits. Managing partner Bill Brewer explained why in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published in February. “I think people expect high-powered lawyers to look like high-powered lawyers,” he said. “Anything else is sending the wrong signal.”
