Public officials are vested with authority of the state, and institutions such as courts crystallize this blend of formal power and relational dynamics. We probe how gender affects the interpretation of authority by using simulations of traffic court. Observers evaluated the professional demeanor of the judge. Results indicate that judge gender makes a difference in how professionalism is rated, gender of the citizen makes a difference in how emotive expression is interpreted, and the interaction of judge and citizen gender affects how the judge’s communication is evaluated. We conclude that gender contextualizes power by moderating its perception and interpretation.