<p>I will soon graduate law school and am worried about passing the character & Fitness section. I have two arrests/citations as a minor (Im 26 now) one for possesion of pot and one for reckless driving and open container.
I have three arrests as an adult - A DUI in 2001, breaking into a car in 2002 (plead down to petty larceny) and a DUI while in law school in my first year - 2007.</p>
<p>I don’t know how negatively your record will affect you, but it won’t be pretty. Nor should it be. Two arrests/citations as a minor are understandable and forgivable. But two DUIs and a felony in the past few years? I’m sorry, but that smacks of a pattern of grossly irresponsible behavior, not to mention outright criminal intent on the part of breaking and entering.</p>
<p>You need to consult with your law school to see what they suggest. They should have discussed this with you before taking your tuition money, IMO. </p>
<p>Obviously, you will need to disclose everything, but check carefully to see if you have to disclose arrests or only the convictions. You will probably want to submit a personal statement explaining the circumstances and how you’ve turned things around. In some states, you may be interviewed about your record and will have the opportunity to show the bar examiners your sincerity. They could reject your application the first time, to wait until l your record is clear for a longer period. A letter from your school to supplement your personal statement might go a long way to reassure them about your professionalism. Your school will be able to give you the best info about your state bar’s requirements and what to expect, since each state may approach this record differently.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I definitely agree that you should talk this over with your school. The state bar where you hope to practice may also have information (on the board of bar examiners website, perhaps, or you might be able to find news stories on Lexis-Nexis or something) about the character and fitness process–at the very least you should be able to see what the bar application form for your state looks like.</p>
<p>If I were you, I would also very strongly consider taking more than one bar exam. This is possible in many states (I know people who did NY and NJ together…the two states have to be close, because you’ll have to travel there after day 2 of the first state and be ready to start testing the following morning). It’s expensive and harder to study, but it doubles your chances of being admitted somewhere.</p>
<p>Considering how seriously most state bars take substance abuse issues, I think that your multiple DUIs, in combination with the pattern of reckless behavior shown by your record, could pose real issues for you. At this point, only time will tell. If you want more information, you may wish to contact a trusted professor or administrator at your law school to inquire with them about things you might do to help your application. </p>
<p>I do hope, for your sake, that you were completely forthcoming about your record with your law school, as most state bars do require that you submit an official copy of your law school application to the bar as part of your application to the bar. I would also recommend being completely forthright on your bar application. Nothing will keep you out of a state bar so quickly and effectively as withholding information.</p>
<p>Many states have a “Lawyers Helping Lawyers” organization, which assists lawyers with substance abuse issues. Many also have a law student division, or offer their services to law students. If you voluntarily seek out assistance for your alcohol problems it may help with your bar application.</p>