'When their lawyer remains steady, clients feel steadier themselves. When their lawyer spirals, they spiral faster.'

Class shows itself most clearly when circumstances invite the opposite. Anyone can appear polished when things are going well. The test comes under strain. Deadlines collapse. Tempers rise. Stakes sharpen. That is when clients, courts, and colleagues begin to evaluate not just what a lawyer knows, but who the lawyer is.

Class is often mistaken for appearance alone. Dress matters. Presentation matters. But class is not reducible to fabric or formality. It is composure expressed consistently. It is assurance without arrogance. It is confidence that does not require display.

The French word aplomb captures this idea well. It refers to unwavering stability maintained during a vertical posture or movement. The image is physical, almost architectural. Balance held under pressure. Lawyers are not ballerinas, but the comparison is instructive. Courtrooms demand movement, adjustment, and precision. The classy lawyer maintains balance while moving through conflict, argument, and scrutiny.

Aplomb is easiest to recognize during crisis. Something unexpected happens. A ruling goes sideways. An opposing argument lands harder than anticipated. The classy lawyer does not flinch theatrically. There is no visible panic. There is no performative outrage. Composure communicates control even when the outcome is uncertain.

Being classy has never gone out of style. George Washington practiced for his own benefit the habits found in the 1595 French Jesuit work, 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation. Washington must have been practicing rule #5 (show not yourself glad at the misfortune of another though he were your enemy) when he returned Gen. William Howe’s tiny terrier found wandering on a battlefield. Many apocryphal stories exist describing Washington’s classy nature, many of which are of questionable provenance. However, a short note surviving in the Library of Congress, written in his aide-de-camp Alexander Hamilton’s hand, gracefully states: “General Washington’s compliments to General Howe, does himself the pleasure to return him a Dog, which accidentally fell into his hands, and by the inscription on the Collar appears to belong to General Howe.” It didn’t do much to end the war, but it was very classy indeed.

This composure is not indifference. It is presence. Clients notice it immediately. They may not articulate it, but they feel it. When their lawyer remains steady, clients feel steadier themselves. When their lawyer spirals, they spiral faster.

Class also appears in how a lawyer treats others. Especially when it would be easier not to. Courtesy toward opposing counsel during sharp disagreement. Respect for court staff who wield quiet authority. Acknowledgment of a good point made by an adversary. These gestures cost little. They signal maturity. Classy lawyers treat a billionaire, a president, a king, a poor widow, an orphan, and a prisoner exactly the same. We all are human after all. Treating someone in a classy way on the worst day of their life will always be remembered by them.

Many lawyers are tempted to take the bait. Sharp comments. Provocations disguised as advocacy. Trolls exist in every practice area. The classy lawyer does not let them set the hook. Silence can be an answer. A measured response can be disarming. Losing composure is rarely strategic.

Class does not mean avoiding firmness. It means delivering firmness without theatrics. Calm assertiveness sits at the center of class. A lawyer can state a position clearly without escalating tone. Disagreement does not require disdain. The classy lawyer is comfortable saying, “I understand your position, and I disagree,” and stopping there.

Clients often watch how their lawyer handles opposition more closely than how the lawyer handles agreement. They are evaluating alignment. They are asking whether this person reflects them well. Class becomes part of the representation. A lawyer who behaves poorly in public proceedings drags the client into that behavior, whether intended or not.

This evaluation never stops. Clients assess how emails are written. How calls are returned. How frustrations are expressed. A sarcastic remark may feel harmless in the moment. It rarely lands that way with an audience. Class requires restraint even when no one appears to be watching.

Class also involves discernment. Not every argument is worth making. Not every slight deserves response. The classy lawyer evaluates the listener before speaking. Judges differ. Jurors differ. Clients differ. Arguments are crafted with the audience in mind, not the ego of the speaker.

This discernment often shows up as a compliment rather than confrontation. Acknowledging a judge’s concern before addressing it. Recognizing opposing counsel’s diligence before explaining disagreement. Compliment does not weaken argument. It invites receptivity. People listen more readily when they feel respected.

There is a misconception that being classy is soft. It is not. It is discipline. It requires control over impulse. It requires patience when impatience would be easier. It requires the ability to absorb frustration without projecting it outward.

History offers examples of advocates who combined sharp intellect with dignified conduct. Roman lawyer of the late Republic, Marcus Tullius Cicero, was known not only for his rhetorical skill, but for his ability to calibrate tone to circumstance. He understood that persuasion involved how something was said as much as what was said. That insight remains relevant.

Class also involves accepting disagreement without offense. A lawyer who takes every challenge personally becomes brittle. The classy lawyer separates identity from argument. Losing a point does not feel like losing face. It feels like part of the process.

This separation protects judgment. Emotional reactivity narrows options. Composure preserves them. Class allows the lawyer to stay oriented toward outcome rather than ego. That orientation benefits everyone involved.

There is also a standard-setting function to class. Lawyers model behavior for clients, younger lawyers, and the courtroom itself. Standards rise or fall based on what is tolerated. The classy lawyer sets a high bar quietly, without announcement.

Dress is part of this, but not the whole. Dressing appropriately signals respect for the forum. It communicates seriousness. Overdressing can be performative. Underdressing can be dismissive. Class lives in alignment rather than excess.

Behavior matters more than attire. How interruptions are handled. How losses are absorbed. How wins are carried. Gloating is not classy. Sulking is not classy. Grace applies in both directions.

Class also appears in consistency. Being polite only when advantageous is not class. Being composed only when winning is not class. Standards that fluctuate with circumstance erode credibility. The classy lawyer behaves predictably, even under stress.

Clients often choose lawyers based on competence. They stay with lawyers based on trust. Class reinforces that trust. It reassures clients that their matters are handled by someone who will not create unnecessary problems. That reassurance has value beyond the legal outcome.

Public confidence in the profession is shaped by small interactions repeated over time. One lawyer’s conduct becomes part of a collective reputation. Class contributes to repairing that reputation quietly, case by case.

Class does not require perfection. Everyone loses composure occasionally. What matters is correction. Apologizing when appropriate. Resetting tone. Moving forward without defensiveness. Class includes accountability.

A classy lawyer also incorporates a little humor when it is appropriate. Humor can easily offend, so care is needed when being funny and classy at the same time. But an easy smile and a carefree and good-natured laugh can go a long way in earning trust and respect.

Ultimately, class is a choice renewed daily. Every lawyer can be classy if they want. It governs how pressure is carried, how conflict is navigated, and how authority is exercised. It reflects respect for the profession and for oneself. Clients notice. Courts notice. Colleagues notice. The law does not demand class, but the practice of law is better for it. In a world that is losing its classy operators, let’s all resolve to be classy lawyers.

Jim Vickaryous is the managing partner of the Vickaryous Law Firm in Lake Mary and represents the 18th Circuit on The Florida Bar Board of Governors.