The world of criminal law is a gritty place where crimes are relived and teams of lawyers battle it out for justice.
But two Orthodox Jewish women are shocking the hallowed halls – dressed head to toe in matching pink outfits as self-proclaimed ‘Barbie lawyers’.
Criminal defense attorneys Sara Shulevitz, 40, and Mindy Meyer, 26, of Meyer Kessner and Shulevitz Law Group are known in Miami and New York law circles for their outlandish style and upbeat attitude.
And while their methods are not to everyone’s taste they say their results speak for themselves.
Sara said: ‘At first glance we might appear a little ditzy but we are fighters, we are tough lawyers and we get the job done.’
Defense attorneys, Sara Shulevitz (left), and Mindy Meyer (right), shopping in Miami, defend some gritty cases dressed head to toe in matching pink outfits as self-proclaimed ‘Barbie lawyers’
Mindy added: ‘I always loved Barbie, the glitz and the glamour and the sparkles and the jazz – so we decided to bring that to the courtroom.’
The duo have represented defendants accused of murders, rapes and even alleged members of Colombian cartels.
Mindy, who grew up in Brooklyn, said: ‘We won’t take on any client that is unethical or asks us to do things that are illegal. Other than that, everybody is entitled to a defense subject to the constitution.’
Orthodox Jewish women practicing criminal law is considered a rarity and Sara and Mindy bond over their shared conservative heritage.
The women, pictured with Judge Glick, work for Meyer Kessner and Shulevitz Law Group and are known in Miami and New York law circles for their outlandish style
While their methods are not to everyone’s taste they say their results speak for themselves
The duo have represented defendants accused of murders, rapes and even alleged members of Colombian cartels
Commenting on the comparison between them and Elle Woods, they said: ‘I was already practicing when Legally Blonde came out and I think that they copied me with the pink resume’
Sara is the daughter of a rabbi and grew up on the Upper East Side of New York.
She said: ‘Both of us come from ultra-Orthodox Jewish homes and it was expected that an Orthodox Jewish woman gets married at 18 and they have children, seven, eight, nine, ten children – however many God will give.
‘I was in an arranged marriage at 18 and that didn’t work out. So then I went to law school.
‘I was already practicing when Legally Blonde came out and I think that they copied me with the pink resume.
‘I used to have pink, scented business cards and I used to throw them into the cells. My clients love it.’
Sara, left, is the daughter of a rabbi and grew up on the Upper East Side of New York
The colleagues explained that when they won a case, one of the male attorneys said, ‘who did you sleep with in the jury to get that result?’, which they said was ‘very painful’ after they worked so hard
But her fight to the top of the law profession has been difficult.
‘I started out as a young attorney in my twenties and people just think a lot of times that you are idiot. You have to work hard to prove yourself.
‘When I switched sides to be a defense lawyer, one of the hardest things was being taken seriously.
‘In a case I tried alone where my client was facing 15 years, I got an acquittal, the jury acquitted my client in five minutes.
‘I was so proud and the next day, one of the male attorneys said, ‘who did you sleep with in the jury to get that result?’
‘It was very painful because you work so hard and no-one would say that to a man attorney.’
Mindy, who grew up in Brooklyn and is married with a young daughter, never envisioned a traditional Orthodox future for herself.
She said: ‘I always had a fascination with criminals and politics and I always knew I was not going to be in the kitchen all day.’
She added: ‘I feel I have known Sara my whole life. At this point we can’t survive without each other. We refer to each other as sisters-in-law.’
Mindy, who grew up in Brooklyn and is married with a young daughter, never envisioned a traditional Orthodox future for herself
Defense attorneys Mindy Meyer (left) and Sara Shulevitz (right) working with private investigator Simon Hamer in their office in Miami
The duo say that being positive, upbeat person, and not automatically attacking the prosecutor, can sometimes be a good approach and bring good outcomes for clients
As well as a love of everything pink, they share a passion for high-fashion, with a particular love for J.Crew, Chanel, Oscar de la Renta and Christian Louboutin.
They say their look represents ‘new feminism’ and that they don’t need to ‘look and act like men’.
But their decision to bring the glamour into the courtroom can be met with mixed emotion.
Judge Stacy Glick of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court, Florida, where Sara defends many of her cases, said: ‘Sometimes I think maybe some of the defendants might not take her seriously because, don’t forget, you have people in here that are potentially facing a life sentence.
‘On the other hand being such a positive person, being such an upbeat person, and not automatically attacking the prosecutor, can sometimes be a good approach and bring good outcomes for her clients.’
She added: ‘I think some judges might not appreciate it because they might take it seriously. It’s a different approach.’
Mindy, who grew up in Brooklyn, said: ‘We won’t take on any client that is unethical or asks us to do things that are illegal’
Sara added: ‘At first glance we might appear a little ditzy but we are fighters, we are tough lawyers and we get the job done’