Texas Lawyer Whose Outfit Was Mocked by Judge Received ‘Ugly’ Comments From Fellow Female Attorneys

A Texas lawyer who went viral after a judge allegedly told her she was inappropriately dressed for the courtroom didn’t get much support from her fellow females.

Mariah Medina — who serves as a defense lawyer in San Antonio, Texas — told the New York Post in an interview published Wednesday, September 23, that after posting about the ordeal on X, she was surprised by some of the response.

“The number of women attorneys who are just so ugly on the internet, I was like, ‘this is so strange,'” the 32-year-old told the publication. “But I have thick skin.”

As Globe previously reported, Medina shared a post on X earlier this week with a photo of the gray, sleeveless dress she wore, claiming that a judge “asked if I really believed that my dress was appropriate for a jury trial.”

Some women told Medina she “was out of line” to share her experience, and many said the dress was “inappropriate.”

In response to her X post, one female attorney asked, “You appeared for a jury trial without a jacket??”

Another person said, “Didn’t they give you lessons on appropriate attire in law school? Most places do. Do you think it would be appropriate for a man to go to court in a tank top to defend his clients?”

Some people, however, seemed to be just as confused as Medina, asking why the attire was being specifically called out in court.

Medina described the piece as a shift dress, which are usually designed to be simple and straight; some come without sleeves.

The lawyer said she was “stunned” by the judge’s reaction, adding that a situation like this has “never happened before.”

Medina was also asked why she would draw more attention to the matter by sharing it online.

“People keep telling me ‘why did you put this on social media? The judge isn’t going to like you,'” she told the Post. “One of my mentors once told me, ‘You can be the attorney that fights. Or you can be the attorney that goes along to get along. There are benefits to both. There are cons to both. But you can’t be both.'”

According to Medina, “Texas has the strongest right to bear arms, but when it comes to ‘bare arms,’ that right ends between the shoulder and the elbow, I guess.”