How to Proceed w/Admissions Mistake?

stacy
Sun, 02 Dec 2012 10:20:32 +0000

Even if you graduate from undergrad.
Even if you get into law school.
Even if you graduate from law school.

There is no way to know if you will be admitted to the bar.

You could ask different state bars now, but their answers won’t be binding on what they decide in the future. And some states have you take the exam first, then do the background check/ethics interview once you pass (NY and MD, that I know of–sure there are more).

The refusal to admit you to the bar could be based on your academic dishonesty. Or, if your argument is “I was so mentally ill I didn’t know right from wrong” they might fear that you’ll stop taking meds and start doing dishonest things again (I know, ADA might protect you, but remember the admission committee is made up of skilled lawyers whose main goal is to protect the state bar from embarrassment over who they admit and from having to pay out client protection fund fees. They are not on your side).

So it is very very possible for you to spend 3 years and a LOT of money on law school then be unable to practice. It’s not worth the risk. I’m going to be honest with you: look into another career. There are plenty that are intellectually challenging and require similar skill sets (reading, writing, analyzing texts, problem-solving on behalf of clients, etc.) that don’t have the same licensing requirements.