Build your outfit and see what’s okay for court

Know before you go:

You should be comfortable in court. Just leave the pajama shirts at home.

Courtrooms can be a lot like your school. Sometimes it’s hot, sometime’s in cold. So bring a jacket or sweater if you think you might be cold.

You don’t need to wear a tie or a dress (unless you want to. You do you!). Just make sure you don’t wear any shirts with offensive stuff. If you can’t wear it to school, don’t wear it to court.

Jeans are cool. And so are skirts as long as they’re an inch or two from your knee.

Everyone passes through security at the courthouse, just like the airport. So an officer may ask you to take off any large belts, jewelry, jackets, or shoes and put your phone into a little basket for a moment. They’re just doing their job to keep everyone safe. The less you carry the less you have to worry about!

Everyone has a phone, even the judge! But court is a lot like taking a test at school: sometimes you can have them, sometimes you can’t. Ask your Advocate if your local courthouse has a policy. Some say no. Some say yes, but not out in the open.

If they allow phones, put it away during court, leave it alone, and don’t let it make any noise when things start happening. If you have an Apple Watch or something like it, don’t spend a lot of time looking at it. Maybe wear a long-sleeve shirt to help keep it from distracting you. And turn on DND!