Did you get in w a shady past?

[expresse9]

Realizing this topic has been broached before, I still am concerned.  I have noticed several school apps asking for your prior criminal history-I have 2 underage drinking violations and 1 possession of paraphanelia(?) charge from 4-5 years ago.  Is this going to be a problem (all things being equal w/ gpa/lsat in 25-75%)?  Is this considered only for the purpose of admittance to the bar? 

[spit]

if they were DUI's, bad, bad. plus the paraphernalia. think about it: why would a good/decent LS want to admit you if you're gonna have trouble with bar admittance? you'd just bring down their bar passage rate.

yeah, be worried. so i've been told.

[---------]

Realizing this topic has been broached before, I still am concerned.  I have noticed several school apps asking for your prior criminal history-I have 2 underage drinking violations and 1 possession of paraphanelia(?) charge from 4-5 years ago.  Is this going to be a problem (all things being equal w/ gpa/lsat in 25-75%)?  Is this considered only for the purpose of admittance to the bar? 

It might be. It probably depends on what state you want to practice in. Just apply to schools in several different areas, disclose everything, and make sure to enclose some sort of supplemental statement about why what you did was wrong and how you learned your lesson.

[Erapitt]

Thats bull.  Be honest and you will be fine.  I had a disorderly conduct that was dropped, a time when I was cited for underage, posession of a fake ID, and public intox. (plead down to public intox.), AND a weapons discharge when I was a kid.  I got into GW.  The schools don't care what you did as long as there isn't some long pattern of mistakes.  Also, they want honesty.  That is all.  Really, its for our own good.  By disclosing everything now, we know we won't have trouble getting in the bar.

Also, even though people say you can get kicked out etc...  I highly doubt that ever student in law school tells the truth on their applications.  I did, b/c I have nothing to hide, but I bet plenty of ppl. leave out juvenile stuff b/c the fact is, it won't ever be found.  However, my theory was better safe than sorry.  Just be honest and you have nothing to worry about.

[ScurvyWench]

Look for a thread from Jayhawkgirl. She had underage drinking and stuff on her record and got in to Harvard, I think.

[expresse9]

Cheers, thanks for the replies.
-Rich

[Bubbazzz]

dude - i have a DWI and a disorderly conduct. i am finishing up my first year in law school.

relax, just tell the truth.

[SuicideNixon]

if they were DUI's, bad, bad. plus the paraphernalia. think about it: why would a good/decent LS want to admit you if you're gonna have trouble with bar admittance? you'd just bring down their bar passage rate.

yeah, be worried. so i've been told.

you've been told wrong. no one gives a flying *&^% about anything that's not a "crime of moral turpitude". Read here "felony" or "lying to law schools/bar about anything". If you disclose everything, there will be no problems whatsoever. Law schools just file this sheet away until you graduate and then they give it to the bar wherever you are taking it. This is to make sure that you don't tell the law school one thing and the bar examiners another. If you don't lie, you will be fine. even some felonies are probably OK so long as you disclose them.

[Erapitt]

Yeah, but even then, I have heard of law students leaving stuff out, then telling the law school going into their third year that they forgot to mention something on their application.  Then, the school decides if its a big deal or not (usually not) and just adds it to the file.

[horsiegirl]

is it really true that the schools won't find out about juvenile/sealed stuff? what about the bar?