One of our lawyers is what I’d call “fashion forward.”

I bumped into him leaving the courthouse the other day.

He was in a seersucker suit, white wingtips, big black aviator Ray Ban sunglasses, and a bow tie. To top it off, he has a great big head of curly hair.

He was kind of a caricature of the southern gentleman lawyer with a 2012 twist.

His outfit was impressive, but it was risky.

He was basically wearing a costume. Heads were turning. Everyone looked.

Of course, he was dressed appropriately for court. He looked sharp, but he stood out: he was different.

As I looked around at the sea of gray and blue suits accompanied by neckties and black wingtips, our lawyer jumped out. He was hard to miss.

When he finished up at the courthouse, we met up to chat.

We talked for about an hour in the front window of a local watering hole.

How many people said hello to him, waved, or otherwise acknowledged his presence?

More people knew him than I can count. It was amazing. It’s especially amazing in light of the fact that he’s a young lawyer who hasn’t been around long.

He makes an impression. He stands out. He’s willing to be different.

Why It Pays to Be Different

What does being different get him?

It gets him noticed in a crowded, competitive field. He’s the guy people are talking about.

Yep, some laugh at him. Some giggle behind his back.

But mostly, they just know who he is and what he does. That bodes well for the future.

He’s the one everyone is watching.

He’s on the fast track to being well known in our legal community.

He took a risk. He’s willing to be different. It’s paying off.

How You Can Stand Out from the Crowd

Am I suggesting that you put on a big red clown nose and wear it to the courthouse?

Nope. That’s not a good idea.

[ While I have you here, I wanted to remind you that you can get the latest articles delivered to your inbox a week before they go up on the web. Just one email per week. Sign up here. ]

However, you should be willing to step away from the need to conform. Be willing to do something no one else does.

How do you do that?

It might be the way you interact with others.

• It might be the way you prepare your cases.
• It might be the way you present evidence.
• It might be the snacks you bring, the topics you discuss, or the smile on your face.

If you want to stand out, take a risk. Be different.