Bad Judgement?

Would You Purposely Wear Pumps in an Ice Storm?

Last week, in the worst ice storm the City has seen in 20 years, a TV news reporter spotted a woman trudging through the snow in a pair of pumps. Deeming this news worthy the reporter rushed over to ask the woman why?

I would have bet money that she was in New York on a business trip; the severe weather catching her unprepared. Not many people would think to pack a pair of boots. But I would have lost that bet. The woman told the reporter that she had passed the bar, the ceremony was today and she wanted to look her best. Apparently ‘best’ meant a pair of pumps despite near blizzard conditions.

My father, who also saw the news report said, "I’d never hire her to be my lawyer. She has poor judgement." He has a point. I don’t think the folks at The New York Bar Association would have thought any less of this woman if she showed up to her swearing in ceremony wearing a lovely pair of dress boots. But her choice of shoe sends a message: If she is undaunted by an act of God, opposing council won’t stand a chance.

Traversing city streets in high heels is challenging in the best weather. Street gratings, manhole covers and uneven sidewalks can turn a graceful strut into, at best, an undignified stumble, and at worst a broken leg. If this newly minted lawyer has the chutzpah and the fortitude to wear them in inclement weather, I want her on my team. Poor judgement wearing pumps in a snow storm? Only if they’re suede.