The work of a public defender is not typically considered very glamorous – but one transgender attorney in Washington is challenging stereotypes thanks to her eye-popping appearance.
Lawyer Stephanie Mueller, 70, has been open about her background and says it has no bearing on her ability as a public defender.
‘I get good results because I’m a good lawyer. My gender is beside the point. This is very, very fabulous,’ Mueller once said.
And on Thursday, the septuagenarian attorney raised eyebrows after appearing before a Seattle court in a very revealing outfit.
Stephanie Mueller, 70, is one of Washington state’s only openly transgender female trial attorneys
She transitioned in 2012 but had recognized her femininity since the age of six. Since coming out she says she has been treated with complete respect and great acceptance’ in court
Mueller donned a fitted, low-cut blue top with no bra underneath that displayed her enormous, surgically-enhanced boobs.
She also wore a pair of skin-tight black leather pants and boots. Mueller completed her look with a black choker, yellow earrings and heavy makeup that included scarlet lipstick, green eyeshadow and thick false eyelashes.
Seattle journalist Jonathan Choe was in court to cover the case of Iris Boardman, a left-wing protester charged with disrupting a Seattle City Council meeting.
But it was Mueller who caught his Twitter followers’ eyes.
Mueller was a model of efficiency in the courtroom and was filmed agreeing a date for a future hearing for Boardman – May 6 – with no-one around her batting an eyelid at her garb.
She also proved she is not to be trifled with during an exchange with a journalist outside following the proceedings.
When challenged that her client had been caught on camera, beaming Mueller quickly became steely.
‘She’s innocent of course,’ Mueller insisted. ‘My client has plead not guilty and she is not guilty, how about that?’
It is the kind of seasoned response that could only have come from her two decades’ experience working as a representative for underprivileged clients accused of misdemeanors in the small town of Vashon.
Despite her outlandish appearance, Mueller insists she has been ‘treated with complete respect and great acceptance’ since transitioning in 2012 and her over-the-top appearance has no bearing on her cases.
‘It’s really important to know that since I transitioned, full-time, more than 4 years ago, I have been treated with complete respect and great acceptance both personally and professionally,’ she wrote on a 2016 GoFundMe page raising money for a new car.
‘Everywhere I go, people are friendly and polite. In the courtroom, the issue has never once arisen – as should be the case.’
Mueller believes she may be the only openly transgender woman trial attorney in the state and says she uses her position to bring ‘diversity to the practice of law.’
But she admits it can feel ‘really lonely’ to be in such a trailblazing position.
Still, Mueller prides herself on being, ‘a distinctive and active voice for the civil rights of all with a particular awareness for transgender rights.’
Sporting thick false eyelashes, huge yellow earrings and a bright red lip, Mueller certainly stood out among the drab court room setting.
Mueller’s eye-popping outfits like this one seen at Seattle municipal court may raise eyebrows, but she insists they have no bearing on her cases
Mueller believes she may be the only openly transgender woman trial attorney in the state and says she uses her position to bring ‘diversity to the practice of law’
‘For 20 years I’ve been providing a significant public service to my community. I offer counseling and ongoing support to my clients accused of petty crimes, most do very well and do not re-offend,’ Mueller said.
Video of the exchange with the reporter raised eyebrows among social media users with many gawking at her appearance, which is reminiscent of trans teacher Kayla Lemieux who also turned heads when photos circulated showing her massive breasts while working at a Canadian high school.
Unlike Mueller, Lemieux’s breasts were prosthetic, sparking accusations that she was pretending to be trans. Lemieux turned up for the first day of school last fall dressed as a man, seeming to bear out those claims.
But Mueller, who has two daughters and recognized her femininity at age six, explains that she has been fully supported with her transition by her family
‘Four years ago I had no idea how everybody would respond and I really wondered if a jury would take me seriously or worse, if someone on a panel would be offended by my appearance,’ she said.
Mueller has been fully supported with her transition by her family and recognized her femininity at age six
As well as her part-time public defense work, Mueller works with the Lavender Rights Project, an organization supporting black trans and intersex individuals
‘I’ve done several jury trials since the switch and my appearance has never been an issue, as far as I can tell, and my clients have gotten the not-guilty verdicts they should have gotten.
‘But 50 years of apartheid-solitary confinement never gets wiped out, so I have to understand and control the tight ball of terror that I feel every time (I mean every time) I step outside. I’m getting used to it.’
Mueller’s Facebook indicates she studied at Earlham College in Indiana and hails from Old Lyme, Connecticut.
As well as her part-time public defense work, she works with the Lavender Rights Project, an organization supporting black trans and intersex individuals.
The position adds to a long career in public service, stretching back to her first job out of college near Chicago, working as a residential counselor for teens with developmental challenges.
Several roles working with at-risk teens followed before she attended law school, ultimately leading to the role she is in today.
‘If you are doing something in public that no one else seems to be doing it’s reasonable to wonder if you’re doing the right thing,’ Mueller admitted.
She explained in 2016 how she sought to find out if there are any other ‘trans women lawyers out there’.
‘I’m not sure what it means that I’m the only one, but I plan to ask more questions of more folks in the legal community to see what’s what. I’m still working on it,’ Mueller said.
However, she is not entirely alone and in 2022, ten transgender attorneys were admitted to practice before the Supreme Court.
