Criminal record and Law School application?

[trudawg]

I have a criminal record (no felonies) 3 or 4 misdemeanors ranging from disorderly conduct to use of Marijuana from 10-15 years ago. I am 33 now and obviously a non-trad student. Where/how do I disclose this information? And do I give detailed reports of the events surrounding each incident? Its really hard to remember dates, agencies etc.
Any advice for me?

[slightlystoopid]

It really shouldn't be an issue but just go online and pay $40 or so dollars and do a criminal background check on yourself. All the incidents should come up with dates, and convictions, and sentences included. Put this stuff in an addendum and then be done with it. If it was 10+ years ago I think adcomms will just glance over it.

[trudawg]

Thanks! I actually just got fingerprinted yesterday to get a FBI background check. Which will tell me not only convictions but even arrest that resulted in no convictions. I just want to be absolutely open, accurate and honest as I can. I have nothing to hide and have paid and learned from my mistakes in the past.

[Jorden]

I am not certain where you reside however I was under the impression that non-felony convictions were removed after 10 years of appropriate conduct. Am I wrong?

[Ninja1]

I am not certain where you reside however I was under the impression that non-felony convictions were removed after 10 years of appropriate conduct. Am I wrong?

You still have to disclose them to your school and state bar in most cases.

[Jorden]

I am not certain where you reside however I was under the impression that non-felony convictions were removed after 10 years of appropriate conduct. Am I wrong?

You still have to disclose them to your school and state bar in most cases.

Wow, I bet that is tough on some of the older students who have records that are crazy from back in their teen years. So happy I stayed out of "that kind" of trouble.

[trudawg]

I am not certain where you reside however I was under the impression that non-felony convictions were removed after 10 years of appropriate conduct. Am I wrong?

You still have to disclose them to your school and state bar in most cases.

Wow, I bet that is tough on some of the older students who have records that are crazy from back in their teen years. So happy I stayed out of "that kind" of trouble.

LOL, yes I sacrificed a clean background check to have fun in my younger years, and now I'm paying the price. Where there is a will there is way, some just have to work a little harder at it than others.
I'm still waiting on my FBI fingerprint report to come back, and I'll have all the info that any school or bar association would see

[Jorden]

I wish you the best of luck in that. When we were younger it didn't cross our minds that later on some of those things will actually come back to haunt us just like parents have always said.

[czarevich]

Disclose. Disclose. Disclose. 

Check with your university to make sure there was never a disciplinary file created for you as well...the state bar will likely check that as well. 

[trudawg]

I wish you the best of luck in that. When we were younger it didn't cross our minds that later on some of those things will actually come back to haunt us just like parents have always said.

Word!!!
.......and this is what I hope to reiterate to young folks coming up now. I hope to be able to use myself as an example and inspiration at the same time. If I can change my life for the better, then anyone could