Do Robes Define Judges? ShawnDya Simpson Says No

[WSJ_law_blog]

On Saturday, the NYT had a piece entitled, “Behind the Gavel, a Sense of Style.” Of course we would never dispute the claim that judges can have a certain kind of style. But fashion?

Meet New York Criminal Court judge ShawnDya L. Simpson, whose name alone suggests strong originality. Apparently, when Judge Simpson dons her black robe she rarely fastens all the buttons and often accents it with a scarf or necklace. And on one recent day, reports the Times, she spiced things up with a lime-green suit.

“It’s a different era,” said Judge Simpson, 42. “I think some judges, you just kind of bring your personality to the bench.” On any given day in New York City’s courthouses, reports the Times, it is common to see judges on the bench with unzipped or unbuttoned robes; accessories like scarves, jewelry or collars hanging outside of a robe; and, in some cases, no robe at all.

Judge Simpson — a former model, TV legal commentator and fashionista — told the Times that being young and black already set her apart among judges, but that the robe can help her earn respect. Without it, she says, she’s been mistaken for a secretary, and men have flirted with her.

Still, Judge Simpson says she won’t compromise her style to look more judicial. “I don’t need a robe to define who I am,” she said.

LB Readers, any good tales of judges out there who have pushed things, style-wise?