Quote:Sweatpants and T-shirts may be the uniform for the new work-at-home workforce.

But if you’re a lawyer in Broward County, a judge wants you to avoid dressing down for tele-court appearances.

With some courts opting for online hearings, Broward Circuit Judge Dennis Bailey issued a warning to those thinking they can wear just anything.

“It is remarkable how many ATTORNEYS appear inappropriately on camera,” the judge wrote in the letter posted on the Weston Bar Association website. “We’ve seen many lawyers in casual shirts and blouses, with no concern for ill-grooming, in bedrooms with the master bed in the background, etc. One male lawyer appeared shirtless and one female attorney appeared still in bed, still under the covers.

“And putting on a beach cover-up won’t cover up you’re poolside in a bathing suit. So, please, if you don’t mind, let’s treat court hearings as court hearings, whether Zooming or not.”

Bailey, who sits on the board of the Weston Bar Association, says he crafted the letter to give attorneys an update on the court’s doings. While Broward family court has already made the seamless switch to digital hearings, some aspects of criminal and civil proceedings have yet to do the same.

The piece about dress code, however, was just an observation.

“I would want [attorneys] dressed showing some respect for their recognition that this is a court hearing,” Bailey, who has to wear his robes during hearings, said Monday in a phone interview.

Bailey’s advice comes as the country adjusts to Zoom meeting etiquette (yes, there is such a thing) amid the global coronavirus pandemic. While some may doubt the link between work fashion and productivity, environmental psychology expert Francis T. McAndrew explained the connection simply.

“If you look at how you are dressed, that signals something about what you are prepared to do,” the Knox College professor told told Vogue Magazine. “So, if you’re dressed like a slob and you are in your sweat clothes, you’re either prepared to work out at the gym or clean out the basement, but you’re not doing anything professional or mentally challenging, and that spills over into your motivation and confidence.”

Bailey’s directive might have sounded a bit harsh, but it was rooted in the right place. To paraphrase a popular sports adage, you look good, you work good.

“You’re going to earn the same amount of respect that you’re shown,” Bailey said. “If you show up in jeans and T-shirt, it’s counterproductive.”

Link

Broward county went 2/3 for Clinton in 2016. I imagine working from bed is pretty common.

ugh..my four least favorite letters right now .. ."Zoom". Our firm says you can have the software, but IT is barely allowed to troubleshoot it and when people ask about it .. it's "persona non-grata" among IT.

We need one teleconference software, that's not from China, to rule the world , so everyone is on the same page.

(04-15-2020 03:45 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  ugh..my four least favorite letters right now .. ."Zoom". Our firm says you can have the software, but IT is barely allowed to troubleshoot it and when people ask about it .. it's "persona non-grata" among IT.

We need one teleconference software, that's not from China, to rule the world , so everyone is on the same page.

We have used gotomeeting for years. Owned by Citrix which is a US company

Zoom has gotten so popular because it's free

I'm on ZOOM damn near all day. I don't like meetings in general but online meetings all day long are worse, imo. Luckily, the camera on my laptop doesn' work so I don't have to worry about the video part. Boss said I could get a new computer but I told him, "Nah, I'm good.".

Except its free for like 45 days or something and then it's "income" time.

I mean think about it:
1) Skype (on it's way out supposedly - for #2)
2) Microsoft Teams (taking over for Skype) - but really only available for businesses per Microsoft
3) the hell known as Discord
4) Zoom (The second least secured IMO, except for Discord) - free within reason, as you have to eventually buy subscriptions (and i know this, cause i shot it down for personal usage on that reason, and when a law firm says "NO THANKS"... )
5) Web-Ex
6) gotomeeting
7) BlueJeans
8) Tencent

What am i forgetting?

But we, in one company, use 1-2-4-5 .. have people asking for 7 and 8....argh!!!

(04-15-2020 04:05 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  Except its free for like 45 days or something and then it's "income" time.

I mean think about it:
1) Skype (on it's way out supposedly - for #2)
2) Microsoft Teams (taking over for Skype) - but really only available for businesses per Microsoft
3) the hell known as Discord
4) Zoom (The second least secured IMO, except for Discord) - free within reason, as you have to eventually buy subscriptions (and i know this, cause i shot it down for personal usage on that reason, and when a law firm says "NO THANKS"... )
5) Web-Ex

What am i forgetting?

I think Zoom took some hits recently. I know we had to go in and change a bunch of security settings like adding a password to each meeting and some other things last week.

yep... zoom issues lately (although any software could have this problem)

https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-off...9-pandemic

Quote: In late March 2020, a Massachusetts-based high school reported that while a teacher was conducting an online class using the teleconferencing software Zoom, an unidentified individual(s) dialed into the classroom. This individual yelled a profanity and then shouted the teacher’s home address in the middle of instruction.
A second Massachusetts-based school reported a Zoom meeting being accessed by an unidentified individual. In this incident, the individual was visible on the video camera and displayed swastika tattoos...


Ensure users are using the updated version of remote access/meeting applications. In January 2020, Zoom updated their software. In their security update, the teleconference software provider added passwords by default for meetings and disabled the ability to randomly scan for meetings to join.

(04-15-2020 04:10 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  yep... zoom issues lately (although any software could have this problem)

https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-off...9-pandemic

Quote: In late March 2020, a Massachusetts-based high school reported that while a teacher was conducting an online class using the teleconferencing software Zoom, an unidentified individual(s) dialed into the classroom. This individual yelled a profanity and then shouted the teacher’s home address in the middle of instruction.
A second Massachusetts-based school reported a Zoom meeting being accessed by an unidentified individual. In this incident, the individual was visible on the video camera and displayed swastika tattoos...


Ensure users are using the updated version of remote access/meeting applications. In January 2020, Zoom updated their software. In their security update, the teleconference software provider added passwords by default for meetings and disabled the ability to randomly scan for meetings to join.

I read about some of those. Lots of places just flat out stopped using Zoom. Seems silly when all one has to do is actually use the built in security features. I have a feeling all those that got hacked didn't have the adequate security features engaged.

(04-15-2020 03:57 PM)bobdizole Wrote:  

(04-15-2020 03:45 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  ugh..my four least favorite letters right now .. ."Zoom". Our firm says you can have the software, but IT is barely allowed to troubleshoot it and when people ask about it .. it's "persona non-grata" among IT.

We need one teleconference software, that's not from China, to rule the world , so everyone is on the same page.

We have used gotomeeting for years. Owned by Citrix which is a US company

Zoom has gotten so popular because it's free

Both seem to work well.

(04-15-2020 04:10 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  yep... zoom issues lately (although any software could have this problem)

https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-off...9-pandemic

Quote: In late March 2020, a Massachusetts-based high school reported that while a teacher was conducting an online class using the teleconferencing software Zoom, an unidentified individual(s) dialed into the classroom. This individual yelled a profanity and then shouted the teacher’s home address in the middle of instruction.
A second Massachusetts-based school reported a Zoom meeting being accessed by an unidentified individual. In this incident, the individual was visible on the video camera and displayed swastika tattoos...


Ensure users are using the updated version of remote access/meeting applications. In January 2020, Zoom updated their software. In their security update, the teleconference software provider added passwords by default for meetings and disabled the ability to randomly scan for meetings to join.

And this just dropped over the weekend
500,000 zoom accounts sold on hacker forums

(04-15-2020 04:44 PM)bobdizole Wrote:  And this just dropped over the weekend
500,000 zoom accounts sold on hacker forums

Yeowch!!!

(04-15-2020 03:45 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  ugh..my four least favorite letters right now .. ."Zoom". Our firm says you can have the software, but IT is barely allowed to troubleshoot it and when people ask about it .. it's "persona non-grata" among IT.

We need one teleconference software, that's not from China, to rule the world , so everyone is on the same page.

The 2 we primarily use are MS Teams and WebEx.

I don't like Teams for video/audio conference. I have to work to hard to ignore the built in microphone and make it call my cell. And if I want to go to the kitchen for some coffee it's easier to carry my cell than my laptop.

Give me WebEx every day. It works great and it gives me lots of control over the meeting and the attendees.

(04-15-2020 04:05 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  Except its free for like 45 days or something and then it's "income" time.

I mean think about it:
1) Skype (on it's way out supposedly - for #2)
2) Microsoft Teams (taking over for Skype) - but really only available for businesses per Microsoft
3) the hell known as Discord
4) Zoom (The second least secured IMO, except for Discord) - free within reason, as you have to eventually buy subscriptions (and i know this, cause i shot it down for personal usage on that reason, and when a law firm says "NO THANKS"... )
5) Web-Ex
6) gotomeeting
7) BlueJeans
8) Tencent

What am i forgetting?

But we, in one company, use 1-2-4-5 .. have people asking for 7 and 8....argh!!!

My company uses Amazon Chime. I think it works pretty well for us for the most part.