Lawyer

Question: Can a person become a lawyer with a infraction?

(Posted by: Troy on 2010-03-09 21:33:46)

Is it possible for me to become a lawyer with a petty theft infraction. I know they have no way in finding out about the infraction, but on a back round check it says i have been charged with a petty theft misdemeanor then it says dismissed. How would this look to a law school and the BAR?

Posted by: djr92 on 2010-03-09, 21:41:58

First off, you can go to law school and become an attorney even if you have felonies. However, they do look bad to law schools, and you would have to have very good grades to counteract this. However, law schools usually don't take misdemeanors into consideration, because they are far too common to bar people from law school for. So you shouldn't have to worry. Also, the case says dismissed so they legally cannot take it into consideration. As you can see from the application I put in the source box, they ask you on a law school application only if you were ever CONVICTED of a crime, not just charged. So, you don't have to worry at all.

Posted by: Michael B on 2010-03-09, 21:52:06

"Also, the case says dismissed so they legally cannot take it into consideration. " WOW!!!! This is incredibly wrong! 99.9% of law school application ask about convictions, arrests, or civil infractions - driving tickets or anything. How they consider it is unknown. Just download ANY law school application. The bar is different. It's called the C &F - character and fitness test. And the guy that just gave the above advice would not pass it. Dang, I cannot believe the amount of MISinformation given at this site.

Posted by: Artemis Gwen on 2010-03-09, 22:32:07

You "know " they have no way of finding out? Really. You think so? [I'm shaking my head with disbelief over your incredibly inaccurate opinion about this - in part because future lawyers are supposed to be more intelligent and more logical than the general population.] Anyway. This is not going to help you get into law school - but as long as your GPA and LSAT scores are high, this will not keep you from getting into a law school. (Don't count on getting in to a top tier school, though.) The Bar could be a little trickier. When I completed my application to take the bar exam in my state, I even had to disclose the speeding tickets I had gotten more than ten years earlier. Failure to disclose an arrest would result in your disbarment - and believe me, the state bar WOULD find out about this. As far as how it looks? Not that good. The number one reason attorneys are likely to lose their license to practice law is because they stole from clients. A potential attorney with a history of theft is not going to give anyone any warm fuzzy feelings. But, if this offense was in your distant past and you have excellent references and a solid history - you could still be admitted to most bars.