Courtroom Camoflauge

Today I had the good fortune of attending oral arguments in the Court of Federal Claims surrounding the long standing litigation over the infamous A-12 Avenger stealth fighter that never really was.  The program to develop the carrier based stealth fighter was cancelled in 1991 before a single prototype was ever completed, and the case has been tied up in litigation ever since.  The legal dispute has scaled up and down the courts system (even reaching the U.S. Supreme Court on one occasion) but it continues to elude final judgment.  It's mind-boggling to think that this case has been around most of my lifetime!  It is much like a real Jarndyce v. Jarndyce as featured in Dickens' Bleak House. 

My firm represents one of the parties, and our lead counsel has been on the case from the very beginning when the complaint was filed in the early '90s.  I was asked to help prepare for the argument over the last couple months so naturally, I had to witness it for myself.  But because of the high profile nature of the case, I knew I would be perhaps the only non-lawyer in a room full of highly accomplished advocates.  My goal was to blend into the scenery, so I opted to wear a solid navy suit, plain white dress shirt with ordinary button cuffs, a quiet gray striped tie, and dark brown oxfords.

In the end, it proved an excellent choice.  Most of the attorneys wore their powerful pinstripe suits (as I suspected they might) with brightly colored ties and cufflinks.  The best-dressed man in the room was easily Charles Cooper - a Southern gentleman (with a smooth accent to match), former clerk to Chief Justice William Rehnquist, and former U.S. Assistant Attorney General under President Reagan.  In addition to his well-tailored gray pinstripe suit and his perfectly coordinated red necktie, I made note of his custom cufflinks which featured the name of his law firm "Cooper & Kirk."  My presence in the courtroom was for purposes of my own legal erudition, but with the added bonus of a polished gentleman well-versed in the art of sartorial gentility.

Admittedly, I was aware of Mr. Cooper before today, as he had worn a bow tie while presenting oral arguments in defense of Proposition 8 before the U.S. Supreme Court this past March.  As my wardrobe choice suggested, I was not present at oral arguments to make a statement or impression, but to learn.  I am happy to report that I was able to blend in with my surroundings and absorb every detail.