What Happens When the Tattoo Generation Goes to Law School?

September 25, 2008 | Posted by: Michael M. O'Hear
Category: Legal Practice | 4 Comments


Call me an old fuddy-duddy, but I’ll be the first to admit I do not “get” tattoos. If you really want to show off that rebellious streak (or solidarity with the underclass, or unrestrained individualism, or whatever), there are many other ways to do so that are much less painful and permanent. When I see young people with prominent tattoos, I can’t help but think about the professional job opportunities they have foreclosed by making a permanent record of their youthful passions. But, according to an article in today’s New York TImes, my concerns may be misplaced:

In a mysterious and inexorable process that seems to transform all that is low culture into something high, permanent ink markings began creeping toward the traditional no-go zones for all kinds of people, past collar and cuffs, those twin lines of clothed demarcation that even now some tattoo artists are reluctant to cross.

Not entirely surprisingly, facial piercing followed suit.

Suddenly it is not just retro punks and hard-core rappers who look as if they’ve tossed over any intention of ever working a straight job.

Artists with prominent Chelsea galleries and thriving careers, practicing physicians, funeral directors, fashion models and stylists are turning up with more holes in their faces than nature provided, and all manner of marks on their throats and hands.

While the article has led me to reconsider that flaming skull I’ve always thought would look great on my forehead, I do note that “lawyer” is not in the list of professions in which visible tattoos are becoming more common. I wonder, though, whether there are some outposts of the legal profession in which tattoos have become the norm, or are at least more accepted than in others. And is there a resource guide somewhere for inked-up law students letting them know which employers are tattoo-friendly and which are not? Maybe this should be part of the NALP form . . . .


Comments

4 Comments so far

  1. Keith Sharfman on September 25, 2008 11:45 am

    Maybe the new trend has something to do with the story recounted in the late Tim Russert’s book about Russert’s son tattooing his father’s and grandfather’s initials on his torso. Russert’s initial outrage about his son’s tattoo was blunted when he learned about this particular tattoo’s substance and meaning.

  2. jeremiah on September 25, 2008 4:16 pm

    Well, there is a difference between a street thug getting his baby’s Mama tattooed on his neck and a person honoring a loved one in such a permanent way. I have my Grandfather’s name tattooed in his own signature on my arm and it is the best tattoo I could imagine! Every time I look at it I smile, I wear a suit every day, and only I know what is on my arms.

  3. BME: Tattoo, Piercing and Body Modification News » News Blog » What Say the Internets? New York Times Edition on September 26, 2008 3:26 pm

    [...] Michael M. O’Hear, Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog: “While the article has led me to reconsider that flaming skull I’ve always thought would look great on my forehead, I do note that ‘lawyer’ is not in the list of professions in which visible tattoos are becoming more common. I wonder, though, whether there are some outposts of the legal profession in which tattoos have become the norm, or are at least more accepted than in others. And is there a resource guide somewhere for inked-up law students letting them know which employers are tattoo-friendly and which are not? Maybe this should be part of the NALP form . . . .” [...]

  4. Jodi Suguitan on January 16, 2009 1:09 pm

    I know I would wonder if I had a lawyer who had a visible tattoo. If it is hiding beneath layers of clothing and is never seen or advertised I don’t think you can really fault someone for such an expression. However tattoos still have a certain social stigma and lawyers are held to a higher social and ethical standard than your average person. It would seem to be a questionable decision by someone intending on entering the field. For the record I have no tattoos and am not considering the flaming skull on my forehead..

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