Attorney Headshot Tips: How Lawyers Look Trustworthy
The short version: a recent photo, a well-fitted dark suit, a calm background, and a confident but approachable expression. Then use that same photo on your firm bio, directory profiles and LinkedIn.
People looking for a lawyer are often worried, and they check your photo before they call. They're asking one question: does this person look careful, capable and on my side?
These tips work whether you're a solo practitioner or a partner at a large firm. To make one from a selfie instead of booking a shoot, see Lawyer Headshots.
One selfie, one lawyer headshot
Example made with Headshotsly: a t-shirt phone selfie at home, turned into a headshot in a suit and tie in front of law books. Same face, same glasses.
1. Keep it current
A client who meets someone who looks very different from their bio photo starts the relationship slightly off balance. Update your headshot whenever your look changes; there is no fixed schedule (how often to update your headshot).
2. Dress one step above your daily wear
A dark suit and tie is still the safe default for most practices. A navy or charcoal suit without a tie, or a blazer, fits firms with a more relaxed style, and practice areas like family law or startups where clients want warmth over formality.
Whatever you choose, make sure it fits well. A good fit reads as 'careful' in a photo.
3. Choose a calm background
A law office background with books says 'lawyer' at a glance and works well on your firm's website. A plain gray or light blue studio is cleaner for directories and anything shown small. A modern office suits newer firms.
If your firm already has a style, match it so all the bios look like one set.
4. Confident, not stern
Many lawyers go for serious, and end up looking unapproachable. A slight, natural smile with your eyes says 'I've got this' and 'you can talk to me' at the same time. Look straight at the camera.
5. Frame for small sizes
Directory listings and search results show your photo tiny. Frame from the chest up so your face stays clear. A head-and-shoulders photo also crops cleanly into a square or a circle.
6. One photo everywhere
Use the same photo on every place a client might look you up. They'll recognize you across sites, and your profiles look maintained.
- Your firm website bio
- Legal directories and review profiles
- Your state bar profile, if it shows photos
- LinkedIn and your email signature
- Speaker pages for talks and CLE events
7. Check any photo rules that apply to you
Directories, bar profiles and courts can have their own photo requirements, and they differ. Check the ones you use before publishing. A photo that's a true, recent likeness of you is the safest choice everywhere.
Lawyer advertising rules also differ by state and country. Our city pages link where each one lives in the official text: lawyer headshots in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and London.
8. Add a photo of you at work
Besides your headshot, a photo at your desk, meeting a client or on the courthouse steps is useful for your About page, articles and social posts. It shows the work, not just the face.
The selfie that gives the best result
If you make your headshot from a selfie, the selfie decides most of the quality. Two minutes of setup is worth it.
- Face a window or stand in open shade outside; never with a bright window behind you
- Hold the phone at eye level, at arm's length, and look into the lens
- Take off sunglasses and hats; wear your everyday glasses if you wear them at work
- Relax your shoulders and smile the way you do with a client
- Add 2 to 4 selfies from slightly different angles for an even closer likeness
9. No time for a shoot? Start from a selfie
With Headshotsly you upload one selfie and pick a lawyer style: suit and tie, navy suit, charcoal suit or blazer, on a law office, clean gray, light blue or modern office background. 5 photos in 4K cost $4.99, one time, and you can try one free first.
The photo is made from your own selfie and keeps your face as it is. If it doesn't look like you, don't use it.
Frequently Asked Questions
A well-fitted dark suit, with a tie for most practices. A suit without a tie or a blazer fits firms with a more relaxed style.
A law office with books for your firm website, or a plain gray or light blue studio for directories. Match your firm's style if it has one.
A slight, natural smile usually works best. It looks confident and approachable at the same time.
A headshot made from your own selfie is a photo of you. Photo rules differ between directories and bar profiles, so check the ones you use.
Whenever your look changes, not on a fixed schedule. Clients should recognize you when you meet. More on how often to update your headshot.
Related Pages
Get your lawyer headshot from one selfie
Try one free photo first. If it looks like you, 5 photos in 4K are $4.99, one time.