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I think covering up tattoos for interviews pretty much goes without saying. However, what's the protocol for other interactions? During classes, meeting with professors, ASW, etc. Also, for context, I have a full sleeve and a few other individual tattoos in normally visible places. I would think a single tattoo on a wrist or something may be more admissible but maybe its different the more you have?

(Spare any tattoo-shaming BTW. I have no problem covering my tattoos if it's what the context calls for but I also don't regret getting any of them)

I'm just wondering what seems generally acceptable in these situations...?

Once you're in, nobody cares. Obviously cover up for job interviews etc. but don't bother for class and professors.

Capitol_Idea wrote:Once you're in, nobody cares. Obviously cover up for job interviews etc. but don't bother for class and professors.

This. So long as you cover up for interviews - and likely on the job, depending on firm - you will be good. And if someone in your class/prof thinks differently, don't sweat it. A good number of your classmates will be insufferable human beings anyway.

If it's a bad tattoo people might say stuff behind your back but that's a life thing, nothing law school specific

Capital's right, it's no more of a big deal in law school than it is anywhere else

Well this is great to hear! I'm likely ending up at a place with some hot/humid weather so the thought of wearing long sleeves on the daily was miserable. I would've done it, but it would've sucked.

rychellemarie wrote:Well this is great to hear! I'm likely ending up at a place with some hot/humid weather so the thought of wearing long sleeves on the daily was miserable. I would've done it, but it would've sucked.

Yep, no one will care.

Your classmates aren't the ones hiring you. It will be fine.

This is an older post, but I also have a full sleeve tattoo and few others on the other arm. I am actually getting laser removal done on them, as I feel like they could hinder my career prospects, especially in a conservative field like law.
Getting inked= one of the worst mistakes of my life. Removal is so expensive, so painful, and takes an eternity.

JoblessAndHopeless wrote:This is an older post, but I also have a full sleeve tattoo and few others on the other arm. I am actually getting laser removal done on them, as I feel like they could hinder my career prospects, especially in a conservative field like law.
Getting inked= one of the worst mistakes of my life. Removal is so expensive, so painful, and takes an eternity.

Where do you (plan to) work? At my firm, I can't even recall the last time my colleagues have seen my bare arms - I'm always in (at least) a dress shirt. Most legal jobs (whether BigLaw, government, in-house) go from business casual to business formal - the ones that don't (Quinn) are the rare outliers.

QContinuum wrote:

JoblessAndHopeless wrote:This is an older post, but I also have a full sleeve tattoo and few others on the other arm. I am actually getting laser removal done on them, as I feel like they could hinder my career prospects, especially in a conservative field like law.
Getting inked= one of the worst mistakes of my life. Removal is so expensive, so painful, and takes an eternity.

Where do you (plan to) work? At my firm, I can't even recall the last time my colleagues have seen my bare arms - I'm always in (at least) a dress shirt. Most legal jobs (whether BigLaw, government, in-house) go from business casual to business formal - the ones that don't (Quinn) are the rare outliers.

we had a professor at HLS with full sleeve tattoos...she just wore a sweater most days. if you cover it for interviews and during the workday (and if you're a dude you'll likely be in dress shirts anyway, if you're a girl it just means potentially unnecessary/ hot daily blazers) it shouldn't hamper your career at all...if you hate them and want to get them removed, that's one thing, but i wouldn't do it for work since people won't see them anyway. i think it could be an issue if you want to work somewhere craaaazy conservative and theyre on your social media but...why would you want that anyway? if your firm really cares about your facebook tattoos it's probably a pretty unpleasant place in a lot of ways, frankly

eck456 wrote:

QContinuum wrote:

JoblessAndHopeless wrote:This is an older post, but I also have a full sleeve tattoo and few others on the other arm. I am actually getting laser removal done on them, as I feel like they could hinder my career prospects, especially in a conservative field like law.
Getting inked= one of the worst mistakes of my life. Removal is so expensive, so painful, and takes an eternity.

Where do you (plan to) work? At my firm, I can't even recall the last time my colleagues have seen my bare arms - I'm always in (at least) a dress shirt. Most legal jobs (whether BigLaw, government, in-house) go from business casual to business formal - the ones that don't (Quinn) are the rare outliers.

we had a professor at HLS with full sleeve tattoos...she just wore a sweater most days. if you cover it for interviews and during the workday (and if you're a dude you'll likely be in dress shirts anyway, if you're a girl it just means potentially unnecessary/ hot daily blazers) it shouldn't hamper your career at all...if you hate them and want to get them removed, that's one thing, but i wouldn't do it for work since people won't see them anyway. i think it could be an issue if you want to work somewhere craaaazy conservative and theyre on your social media but...why would you want that anyway? if your firm really cares about your facebook tattoos it's probably a pretty unpleasant place in a lot of ways, frankly

also my quinn interviewer had multiple tattoos, cant imagine that would hold you back as long as you cover them for court

eck456 wrote:

QContinuum wrote:

JoblessAndHopeless wrote:This is an older post, but I also have a full sleeve tattoo and few others on the other arm. I am actually getting laser removal done on them, as I feel like they could hinder my career prospects, especially in a conservative field like law.
Getting inked= one of the worst mistakes of my life. Removal is so expensive, so painful, and takes an eternity.

Where do you (plan to) work? At my firm, I can't even recall the last time my colleagues have seen my bare arms - I'm always in (at least) a dress shirt. Most legal jobs (whether BigLaw, government, in-house) go from business casual to business formal - the ones that don't (Quinn) are the rare outliers.

we had a professor at HLS with full sleeve tattoos...she just wore a sweater most days. if you cover it for interviews and during the workday (and if you're a dude you'll likely be in dress shirts anyway, if you're a girl it just means potentially unnecessary/ hot daily blazers) it shouldn't hamper your career at all...if you hate them and want to get them removed, that's one thing, but i wouldn't do it for work since people won't see them anyway. i think it could be an issue if you want to work somewhere craaaazy conservative and theyre on your social media but...why would you want that anyway? if your firm really cares about your facebook tattoos it's probably a pretty unpleasant place in a lot of ways, frankly

You're right. It's actually for personal reasons, as I really do hate my ink. As a guy, I will always be in dress shirts so nobody would see them, like you said. But I also would like to wear T-shirts and such in social gatherings (like firm events, drinks, etc) without feeling so damn self-conscious all the time.

I think knowing the protocol is more important that actually covering up.

I see clients now in tees shorts and tattoos. I am sure not everyone approves, but as long as I know to put on a suit before showing up in court ... I don't think anyone cares enough for me to care.

Nobody cares what you look like except at job interviews, and even then, maybe only subconsciously.

We had a discussion about tattoos at lunch the other day. My boss has one (or a few) tats on his shoulders that peek out when he wears short sleeves (most of the time). Nobody really cares. The conversation was about a former coworker who got a sleeve and how they wouldn't have pegged him as a tattoo guy.

Tattoos in weird places (like your face) and obscene tattoos will probably impact employment prospects if visible, but nobody cares about the heart on your ankle or wrist.

I'm disappointed this thread has been here for so long without anyone mentioning the guy who got a tattoo of the citation for his student note.

One thing to mention is that is isn't just the employer. Some clients have opinions on this issue. I'd just say regardless of firm culture to never let them be visible to a client even if work culture is short sleeve polo on Friday or before a holiday.