Woman Lawyer Has No Win Bra

Women lawyers occasionally find themselves in situations that male lawyers never have to face. And in this case, that includes being denied access to a client due to her choice of underwear.

Via the Miami Herald:

Attorney Brittney Horstman was not packing heat.

She was wearing an underwire bra.

And when the metal detector went off on a visit to the Miami Federal Detention Center, security guards wouldn’t let Horstman in to see her client.

The attorney reminded guards of a detention center “memo” allowing female attorneys wearing an underwire bra to enter. But the guards would not relent.

Horstman stepped into a bathroom and removed her bra. In blouse and jacket, she returned, and cleared the walk-through detector.

Again, guards refused to let her pass — now, because she was braless, which is against prison dress code guidelines.

“So, simply because I was a woman who wore a specific bra, my client was denied access to his attorney today,” Horstman e-mailed a group of fellow lawyers on June 4. “This is completely unacceptable.”

According to the article, this isn’t the first time a female lawyer has has an issue getting in to see a prisoner due to underwire — in fact, in general they had to have a protocol of codewords to address the situation.

But more frustrating is that they also have a full dress code modified mostly for women.

But the FDC’s dress code, which stresses “appropriate attire,” has a laundry list of restrictions. Women, for example, cannot wear sweat pants, sweat shirts, sun dresses, leotards, wraparound skirts, crop tops, low cut blouses, zippered dresses/shirts, button-down dresses/skirts or low-cut dresses.

They also cannot wear “any type of garment that is see-through . . . or clothing that is tight and sexually suggestive or revealing.”

No button down or zippered shirts? What exactly is a woman supposed to wear under her suit jacket?

Luckily, many other local lawyers have noted both the discrimination of the policy and Ms. Horstman’s dedication to her profession.

“You are a true defense attorney taking your bra off to try to see your client in jail!” Horstman’s colleague, attorney Carmen Vizcaino, said in an e-mail. “Betcha none of the guys have done that for their clients.”

(Hat Tip to Feministe)

Read more: womens rights

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Norma V.

8:50PM PDT on Oct 9, 2010

A client has the right to consult their attorney. What were they going to discuss? Victoria Secret lingerie and undergarments?

send a green star

Linda M.

8:22PM PDT on Oct 8, 2010

That is absurd. Women And men are expected to wear appropriate And professional attire when meeting with a client. This ruling makes no sense without a history of a problem. Underwires might worry someone about being made into weapons, but they couldn't be without causing a scene. So what are we worried about? Women's sticking out parts? I can't help it. I see men in cups showing up next. Legal situations often require extra preparation. I hope all her files are small. She's going to need to have a bra to wear and one to change into every time she goes to court. Taking evidence out of her briefcase should titillate the jury. Oh, wait. Is that allowed?

Natasha H.

6:10PM PDT on Oct 8, 2010

wow... honestly, who cares?

4:42PM PDT on Oct 8, 2010

More proof that the US is completely out of touch with reality. Heaven help us here in the real world !

Janice P.

7:45PM PDT on Oct 7, 2010

I never had this problem, even when I went to visit a client in the state facility for the criminally insane. I can't imagine having to endure such nonsense. Quite clearly, a number of things need to change.

Sheri P.

11:11AM PDT on Oct 7, 2010

I think this is completely insane!!

Sheila N.

11:21PM PDT on Oct 6, 2010

I hate dress codes. If you're clean and your "parts" are covered no one should give a damn. Why do we allow some people to dictate to the rest of us what we should wear? Why do men keep wearing the same damn suits for what, a century or more? Don't we claim to be a creative species?

Lika S.

2:10AM PDT on Oct 6, 2010

So the fact that she is ENTITLED to wear an underwire bra makes it immoral that she couldn't get in. So what, because she shows up to work with the "wrong bra" and she has to go home and change like a 3rd grade school girl whose skirt isn't knee length? This is sexual harassment of some sort.

At least now she knows, but it was wrong to deny her entry.

jane r.

5:12PM PDT on Oct 5, 2010

I can understand both sides of this problem but common sense should have prevailed and the attorney allowed to see her client.

Jane R.

5:24PM PDT on Oct 3, 2010

This was very stupid on her part. She could have gone a couple of hours with a wireless bra if she really wanted to see her client. Does she think her boobs would slide down to her waist in so short a time? Give me a break.