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Law school application addendum question

captainballs

Bluelighter
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Messages
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How do you explain arrests and periods of poor performance in school related to anxiety/depression/chemicals? Is it safe to be candid, as long as it's done really, really well?
 
3.25 doesn't matter if you have upward trend and good LSAT. I'd be more worried about arrest record, if it is for something serious. I almost went down the law school track and I had to think about this...but luckily I got my record expunged.
 
These days you still have to explain expunged records for law schools... this is another issue I'm facing. You're suprised? So was one of my lawyers... but it's the truth!
 
Hmm, didn't know that!

Well, I guess at this point it depends on the offense. Was it something minor that happened a long time ago, and now you can just say it was due to being immature....or was it something more serious/recent?

This seems like something for the legal form.
 
I have a minor thing back when I was 16, and another minor thing recently that hasn't been expunged yet. The recent thing got dismissed really quickly: 5 months, which I think I'll write about somehow.
 
So I'm just bumping this up because I'm presently pondering the same questions.

I think my marks will be okayish, but there are some serious holes in them at various points (like, say, this entire semester). How does one tread cautiously?

Luckily I don't have to deal with an arrest record though.
 
I think my marks will be okayish, but there are some serious holes in them at various points (like, say, this entire semester). How does one tread cautiously?

Study hard for the LSAT and kill it. Like, destroy it. I wouldn't try to justify your grades on the application, unless you have really good extracurricular activities, which may explain them a bit.
 
That's what I'm hoping. I just did a practice test, and even though I was really high and forgot to do the last six questions (!), I got a pretty good score. I assume that will improve with study and practice.
 
the threads will NOT be shut down.

the closure of C&U is being discussed, and that is all i can tell you. whether or not c&u closes, the threads will not be closed.

continue on. :)
 
Do NOT give an addmissions committee any reason to deny you entry. This includes mental illness, past drug use, criminal conviction. Do noy volunteer any of this informaiton and provide it only if specifically asked (ie: convictions).

Even though we'd like to think that many professional programs are enlightened in this day and age, there is still a large stigma attached to drug use or mental illness in the professional world.
 
Law schools, as well as your state's Bar committe when you will be applying to take the Bar, are looking for candor and honesty.

In terms of poor performance in school, a 3.25 is still pretty decent. I wouldn't bother writing an addendum on that, unless you had 1 or 2 "extreme" semesters, such as sub 2.0 GPA-semesters.

If you can score above a 165 on your LSAT, you will still be able to land a few Top 20 schools with a 3.25.

The LSAT really is key here, both in terms of quality of school and, perhaps more importantly, amount of scholasrship. I can imagine the admissions cycle will be petty rough this year due to the recession so you are going to want to put forward a good LSAT score.

But yes...ABSOLUTELY disclose criminal convictions. The law is funny. Unless your convictions were related to fraud/dishonesty issues, it's not that big of a deal to the admissions committees.

If, however, you don't disclose something and they still find out about it anyways, they will view you as a dishonest person and will NOT admit you.

Like I said earlier, it's the same thing with the Bar application.

You can always attach addendums about the criminal convictions. I know people that are working at VERY good firms that have some pretty wild shit on their records...they were always honest and disclosed everything.

Good luck!
 
If, however, you don't disclose something and they still find out about it anyways, they will view you as a dishonest person and will NOT admit you.

Even worse, I heard, they may not catch something like an expunged record until after you've completed your first year. I've heard horror stories of law students kindly being booted the fuck out of law school after busting their asses for a year.
 
With a 3.25 and a descent LSAT you should be ok.


I would be upfront and honest, rather then hiding anything from the school, or your states Bar Association. That in my opinion is the LAST thing you want to do.


Im preparing to start the application process in about 1 year. I think the key to entry lies in your LSAT score. 160+ works here in California.

I wish you luck bro from one future lawyer to another :):):)
 
Okay, so wizekrak and Tappanzee offer two different, but both very sensible, ways to approach this if you've got a "record".

I don't mean to derail captainballs' thread too much, but I guess I'm more concerned about things that are not necessarily *on record* - i.e. drug use (unrecorded) that has screwed my GPA (which of course is recorded).

Like wize says, admissions officers at professional schools aren't all as progressive as we'd like. So should I stay mute and, as Water says, just try to nail the LSAT? Or should I nail the LSAT *and* tell them about the drug abuse?
 
I would just stay quiet and nail the LSAT. Coming straight out and saying, "oh, I had a difficult time because I was doing drugs", probably isn't going to make them happy, and they're probably going to wonder if you did this before if it will happen again. Just my $0.02.
 
Okay, so wizekrak and Tappanzee offer two different, but both very sensible, ways to approach this if you've got a "record".

I don't mean to derail captainballs' thread too much, but I guess I'm more concerned about things that are not necessarily *on record* - i.e. drug use (unrecorded) that has screwed my GPA (which of course is recorded).

Like wize says, admissions officers at professional schools aren't all as progressive as we'd like. So should I stay mute and, as Water says, just try to nail the LSAT? Or should I nail the LSAT *and* tell them about the drug abuse?

What does your application look like? Does it specifically ask about criminal convictions? If it does then disclose. If it does not then you are not obligate to disclose any conviction on your application. The Bar licensure process is where this is going to matter. When you apply for the Bar you most likely will be asked to disclose any convictions, at this time you must do so. If you lie on a licensure application (not giving information when it is specifically asked for) you will most likely have your license stripped if they find out (they most likely will). Keep in mind that a school is merely that, a school. You give them money, they educate you. The edication in law and the bar association are two seperate entities.

Bottom line: If they ask for specific info then you have to provide it, if they don't, then don't provide it.
 
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