Melvin Belli
Discover how to develop better rapport with clients. Learn to maximize credibility with judges. Be more persuasive with juries and the media.
If you strike the public as being credible, honest, and moral, you will increase the likelihood of a successful practice. At Manhattan Makeovers we specialize in helping attorneys. Our advice is not based on the whims of fashion; instead, it is the result of testing and research. Founded by attorney William Cane, we will ensure that you have the edge in creating an image that will take you to the heights of your legal career, and beyond.
Evidence-Based Consulting
Unlike fashion designers, who typically work from creative hunches and guesswork, all our recommendations are based on rigorous testing and research. We take the guesswork out of fashion. The bottom line is that we can provide you with a number of scientifically developed strategies to expand your horizons and help you reach your full potential as a practicing attorney.
Res Ipsa Loquitur
Johnnie Cochran
Thrill to the secret knowledge that only you will possess when meeting with clients and colleagues. Clothes and accessories speak for themselves, but up until now no one has been able to precisely interpret what a specific pair of shoes, for instance, was saying about an attorney’s integrity and character. At Manhattan Makeovers we have access to a research database that reveals exactly which pair of shoes you should be wearing in order to have maximum effectiveness with clients, colleagues, and judges. This is just a sampling of the inside knowledge we convey to attorneys.
Not only won’t you ever wear the wrong colors again, after talking with our image consultants you’ll understand precisely what the colors you wear are saying subliminally to everyone who sees you. Never fall into the trap of looking like a member of the lower class when it is to your advantage to look like a member of the upper class. You’ll even learn when it is disadvantageous to look like a member of the upper class when dealing with certain types of clients. Again, all our advice is based on research about what colors and garments work best for attorneys. We’ll even tell you which neckties test most favorably with judges from Ivy League schools, and which neckties you should never wear when dealing with blue collar clients and jurors. (Photo: Johnnie Cochran)
Dress for Legal Success
Raymund Burr
You will learn the basics of appropriate grooming and behavior for client interviews, depositions, motions before different kinds of judges, trial work, corporate consulting, and more.
You will also discover how to eliminate prejudice, transcend cultural milieu, foster an understanding of the implications of diversity, and develop good relationships with law clerks from other cultures. Take advantage of your newfound knowledge to work with all types of clients and appeal to judges from various law school backgrounds. (Photo: Raymond Burr as defense attorney Perry Mason)
Law Firms
Law firms can also use an image consultant to work one-on-one with associates on a more extended basis. In such a scenario, we devote time to each individual, analyzing his wardrobe and showing him how to improve telephone manner, voice, and gestures. Law firms who use an image consultant knowledgeable about unwritten legal dress codes can expect to develop greater cohesion and attract more clients.
Female Attorneys
Marcia Clark BEFORE and AFTER
Professional. Polished. Stylish.
Well, that’s how Marcia Clark thought she looked when she was prosecuting O.J. Simpson. She didn’t think she looked like a woman from a bygone age.
Then along came her image consultant. The Los Angeles prosecutor responded to suggestions that she soften her look. She talked with mock jurors who give her invaluable feedback—the kind of feedback an image consultant provides.
In the blink of an eye she was wearing lighter colors and more jewelry. Even her demeanor changed. No longer was she the cold robotic personality she had been in Judge Lance Ito’s courtroom. Now she joked with reporters. She smiled. She changed her image overnight.
If you’re a female attorney who wishes to have the right image for client interviews, courtroom appearances, or work with the media, there’s no better decision you can make than to hire a professional image consultant. And there’s no better choice than Manhattan Makeovers. In fact, we help attorneys from all fifty states. Like the mock jurors who helped Marcia Clark, our team of experienced image consultants will tell you whether your clothes are effective, whether your accessories are appropriate, and even whether your demeanor might be turning clients off.
For female attorneys we provide lessons from professional makeup artists and hairstylists who have worked with A-list actors. We’ll treat you like a celebrity, and then we’ll show you how to use your new wardrobe and accessories to win the confidence of clients and colleagues.
It’s even more important for a female attorney to dress correctly than it is for a male attorney because a woman’s wardrobe choices are wider and the possibility of making mistakes is correspondingly greater. However, once our image consultants teach you the rules, which are considerably more fun to learn than the rules of civil procedure, we’re sure you’ll agree that dressing for success in court and in the office will supercharge your career. (Photo: Marcia Clark before and after her complete makeover)
Image Analysis for Lawyers
“The American people are very suspicious of lawyers. Juries think we are there to con them. And the public believes the mark of success for a lawyer is just getting people off.”
—F. Lee Bailey | quoted in Life magazine, November 17, 1972
Lawyers face three hurdles that an image consultant can help them surmount.
- Relating to judges,
- Gaining client trust, and
- Maintaining an edge vis-a-vis opposing counsel.
An image consultant can help a lawyer deal with all three challenges. As a former litigator, William Cane can show attorneys how to dress for success in and out of the courtroom. By doing so you will have better rapport with clients and jurors, gain trust from potential clients, and win the respect of other attorneys and judges.
Learn from the Best
The Roman rhetorician and lawyer Cicero urged his pupils to learn from the best and to imitate their work and style in speaking. One of our specialties is teaching litigators how to emulate successful courtroom demeanor. We can also give you strategic information on how to dress witnesses for maximum credibility with juries in different kinds of cases.
In addition to helping attorneys, our team has worked to improve the image of actors, celebrities and candidates in numerous local, congressional, and presidential campaigns. We encourage you to contact us so that we can tell you more about our professional services.