T14 Character and Fitness Questions (2013-2014 Cycle) Forum

[t-14orbust]

Since many people (who for whatever reason don't have access to the applications yet) have been wondering what the T14 Character and Fitness Questions are for this cycle I will be posting them here. This is also to help those people who are applying next year, in case they were wondering. I had a few C&F issues myself, and would have found this very helpful. FWIW, for some schools these questions have changed dramatically since previous years (especially Harvard, thanks to a new MA statute if I'm not mistaken) so they may also change considerably next cycle. Alright, here goes:

Yale: Please note that your answers to the following questions and any information included in your Character and Fitness attachment may become part of the character and fitness review of the bar in the state(s) in which you intend to practice. Admission to the practice of law depends not only on adequate academic performance in law school and successful completion of the bar examination, but also on satisfaction of the requirements of the particular jurisdiction as to proof of good character. These requirements differ from state to state, and applicants should inform themselves of the requirements of the jurisdictions in which they are interested.

If your answer to either of the following Character and Fitness questions is yes, include an attachment describing the circumstances.

1. Have you ever been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to, a felony or misdemeanor, or are there any criminal charges pending against you?

2. At any college or university, have you ever been suspended, expelled, or required to withdraw, or been the subject of any other disciplinary action or proceeding for misconduct or deficient scholarship, or are there any charges pending against you?
------------------------

Stanford: *If your answer to any of these questions below is "Yes," please attach an explanatory statement with your electronic application. Prior to matriculation, you will be required to submit documentation from each school attended attesting to your good standing. Note that an affirmative answer to question 4 requires a letter of good standing from your law school.

1. Have you ever at any college or university been in other than good standing because of academic deficiencies, been sanctioned for misconduct, or been the subject of disciplinary proceedings?

2. Have you ever been convicted of, or is any charge now pending against you for any crime other than a traffic violation?

3. Have you ever been subject to discipline by a professional organization?

4. Have you ever been enrolled in another law school?
------------------------

Harvard:PLEASE ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.

If you answer “yes” to any of the questions below, you must provide details in the space provided.

1. At any educational institution, have you ever been found responsible for behavioral misconduct that resulted in anything more than a verbal reprimand or are any charges pending?

2. At any educational institution, have you ever been found responsible for academic misconduct or are any charges pending?

3. In a professional setting, have you been subject to disciplinary sanctions, or are any charges pending?

4. Have you ever been convicted of, or pled guilty or no contest to, any felony or misdemeanor, other than:
-an arrest or other detention that did not result in a conviction, or in which a conviction was vacated;
-a first conviction for any of the following misdemeanors: drunkenness, simple assault, speeding, minor traffic violations, affray or disturbance of the peace; or
-any misdemeanor conviction that occurred more than five years before your application for admission, unless you were also sentenced to imprisonment, or were convicted of any additional offense within the five year period.

Note that you are not required to answer “yes” to this question, or provide an explanation, if the criminal adjudication or conviction has been expunged, sealed, annulled, pardoned, destroyed, erased, impounded, or otherwise ordered by a court to be kept confidential.

5. Are you currently deferring enrollment at a law school that requires a commitment not to apply elsewhere?

6. Have you ever attended a law school?
------------------------

Columbia: If you answer "Yes" to questions 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, or 8.6 in the "Character and Fitness" section, you must attach a detailed, complete, and truthful written explanation in the "Attachments" section of the application. Please answer honestly, irrespective of any advice you may have received to the contrary.

1. Have you ever been on academic probation or subjected to disciplinary action for scholastic or other reasons by any college, university, graduate school, or professional school you have attended? This should include matters that have been expunged. In addition to attaching a written explanation in the "Attachments" section of the application, kindly have the Dean or administrative officer in charge of student records forward a detailed explanation of the incident.

2. Are there any disciplinary charges pending or expected to be brought against you? In addition to attaching a written explanation in the "Attachments" section of the application, kindly have the Dean or administrative officer in charge of student records forward a detailed explanation of the incident.

3. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been cited, arrested, charged with, indicted, convicted or tried for, or pleaded guilty to, the commission of any felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law, except minor parking violations, or been the subject of any juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceeding? This should include matters that may have been expunged from the records or subject to a diversionary program. Please note that you should have available and be prepared to submit or exhibit copies of police and court records regarding any matter you disclose in reply to this question. If you answered "Yes," you must attach a detailed, complete, and truthful explanation, including a statement of the charge(s), the disposition thereof and the underlying facts. Please answer honestly, irrespective of any advice you may have received to the contrary.

4. Are there any criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you?

5. Have you ever been subject to disciplinary action by a professional organization?

6. Will you be enrolled in an undergraduate program on or after August 1, 2014?
------------------------

Chicago: Please select "yes" or "no" to the following questions. If your answer is "yes" to any of the questions, attach a complete and detailed description of the circumstances (see the Attachments section).

A Note about Character and Fitness: An affirmative response to any portion of the Character and Fitness questions will not automatically disqualify a candidate from admission. We encourage all applicants to become familiar with the rules and standards governing admission to the bar in the jurisdiction where the applicant intends to practice law, particularly the requirements related to character and fitness. Many states, including Illinois, require very broad and detailed disclosures in connection with the evaluation of an applicant’s character and fitness for admission to practice law.

1. In connection with your enrollment at any college, university, or other institution of higher education, have you ever been found to be guilty, responsible or accountable for any misconduct, including but not limited to any matter for which you were suspended, dismissed, expelled, banned, restricted, placed on probation, or subject to any other sanction or penalty? If so, please provide all material facts and an explanation of the circumstances. NOTE: Misconduct includes but is not limited to academic and non-academic matters. You must also disclose disciplinary matters that are pending at the time of your application.

2. Have you ever been charged with or convicted of any crime or offense other than a minor traffic violation? This includes any charges, complaints or citations that were filed against you as a juvenile or as an adult, formal or informal, pending or closed, dismissed, expunged, sealed or subject to a diversionary program, and includes any charges, complaints or citations that you reasonably expect to be brought against you. If so, please provide all material facts and an explanation of the circumstances.

3. Have you been discharged or dismissed from the armed forces, other than by honorable discharge, or sentenced in a court-martial proceeding?
------------------------

NYU:Please answer the following questions. If you answer "yes" to any of the questions below, please upload a separate statement in the attachment section of this application. You must answer these questions fully and truthfully regardless of any contrary advice that you may have received from others. If you are unsure whether a particular event must be revealed in answer to any of these questions, you should contact the Office of Admissions.

*If the answer to question 4 and/or 5 is yes, you are required to ask the dean or administrative office in charge of student records at the school at which the incident occurred to provide an explanation. The explanation should be submitted directly to NYU School of Law, Office of JD Admissions, 139 MacDougal Street, Suite C-20, New York, NY 10012.

1. Has your undergraduate or graduate course of study been interrupted for one or more terms for any reason?

2. Have you ever enrolled in a J.D., LL.B., or other first law degree program?

3. Are you currently deferring enrollment at a law school that requires a commitment not to apply elsewhere?

4. Have you ever been placed on academic probation or been required to withdraw from any school for academic reasons?

5. Have you ever been subject to academic or any other disciplinary sanctions, or are charges pending at any academic institution? This should include matters that have been expunged or dismissed.

6. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been charged with or convicted of any crime, or charged with or found to have committed any offense (whether or not defined as a crime), or are any such charges pending? This should include matters that have been expunged or dismissed.

7. If you have ever served on full-time military active duty, was your discharge under conditions other than honorable?
------------------------

Penn: If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions, you must provide an explanatory statement that can then be uploaded in Attachments. If you do not, the processing and review of your application will be delayed. We caution you to err on the side of full disclosure.

1. Has your academic experience ever been interrupted for one or more terms for any reason? (This does not include the time period between high school and college or between college and law school, etc.)

2. Have you ever been placed on academic or disciplinary probation, issued academic or disciplinary warnings, suspended, dropped, expelled, or been required to withdraw from any post-secondary education you have attended, or are any such proceedings now pending against you? (This should include matters that have been expunged.)

3. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been arrested, charged, cited, or convicted of a crime (including misdemeanors), or is any charge now pending against you? (This should include matters that have been expunged or subject to a diversionary program.)

4. Have you ever been or are you currently enrolled in another law school?
------------------------

UVA: If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," attach an addendum explaining the circumstances. After submitting this application, you have an ongoing obligation to notify immediately the Office of Admissions of new or additional information pertaining to these questions.

Upon completion of your JD, there will be character, fitness and other qualifications required for admission to the bar. You are encouraged, prior to matriculation in law school, to determine what the requirements are in the state(s) in which you intend to practice.

As you provide responses to the questions set forth in this section, please do so carefully and be mindful that in the future, when you seek admission to one or more state bars, you will be required to respond to similar conduct questions. For this reason, please pay careful attention to provide detailed, complete and accurate responses both on this application, as well as in response to similar questions that are posed to you in the future. Failure to provide complete, accurate and consistent responses, or to omit information that is requested, can cause serious problems for you when you are seek bar admission.

1. Have you ever been subject to verbal or written discipline (informal or formal, and of any type, such as but not limited to warning, reprimand, suspension, and/or dismissal) for scholastic or other reasons in any of the colleges, universities, graduate or professional schools you have attended, or by any employer?

2. Have you ever been arrested or convicted of any offense, excluding minor traffic or parking violations? Violations involving alcohol, damage to property, injury to person(s), and/or reckless driving do NOT constitute "minor" violations.

3. Are there any charges pending or expected to be brought against you?

4. Are you aware of any charges, discipline and/or accusations pending or expected to be brought against you of any kind that would satisfy any of the foregoing character & fitness-related questions?

5. If you answered "Yes" to question 2 in the EDUCATION section of the application, indicating prior law school attendance, provide the name of the law school(s) in the text box below, and attach an addendum providing the dates of attendance and the circumstances of your termination of enrollment. You do not have to submit an addendum if you are currently attending law school in good standing and submitting this application seeking to transfer to UVA Law.
------------------------

Berkeley:(*Note that this section is titled "Misconduct" and not "Character and Fitness") If you answer "Yes" to any of the questions below, please attach an addendum explaining the circumstances. Note that an affirmative answer to these question does not necessarily preclude or even prejudice admission to Berkeley Law. Your answer will be reviewed on an individual basis in relation to all aspects of your experience, academic achievement, and potential.

If your answer to any of the following questions becomes affirmative after you submit your application, you are required to notify the Admissions Office in writing.

1. Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of any offense, excluding minor traffic and parking violations, or is any such charge now pending against you?

2. Have you ever been subjected to a dismissal, suspension, probation, or other disciplinary or academic sanction by any college, university, or professional school?

3. Have you ever been subject to discipline by a professional organization?
------------------------

Michigan:(*Note that this section is titled "Residency/Conduct" and not "Character and Fitness." Since this is a C&F thread, I will not be including their questions about whether or not you are a Michigan resident.)
While answering the two questions below, when in doubt, err on the side of full disclosure, as the failure to fully answer any question may result in exclusion from law school or denial of the opportunity to take a state bar examination. (Please note each state has character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar; we encourage you to determine what those requirements are in any state(s) in which you are considering practicing.) If, following your completion of this application but prior to matriculation, matters arise that would require you to answer yes to either question, supplement your application with complete details. Note that an affirmative answer to either question does not necessarily preclude or even prejudice admission. Your answer will be reviewed on an individual basis in relation to all aspects of your experience, academic achievement, and potential. You must submit a supplementary statement with any affirmative responses; provide complete details, including dates and resolution (see Attachments section).

3. Have you ever been subject to disciplinary action for academic or other reasons in any of the colleges, universities, graduate, or professional schools you have attended, or are such charges pending or expected to be brought against you?

4. Have you ever been convicted of a crime (following a jury or bench trial, a guilty plea, or a nolo contendere plea), or charged with a criminal offense that was later dismissed as a result of a plea bargain or alternative sentencing arrangement, or are such criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you? Include misdemeanors and criminal infractions, as well as any interaction with a law enforcement agency that resulted in payment of a fine or order of community service. Do not include minor traffic violations or civil infractions or citations for which jail time was not a potential penalty.
------------------------

Duke: Duke Law requires that you reveal knowledge of all disciplinary charges, and any arrests, criminal charges, or criminal convictions (except arrests, criminal charges or criminal convictions that have been expunged from your record). When in doubt, you should err on the side of full disclosure as subsequent discovery of a failure to fully and accurately answer these questions may have serious consequences. You have an ongoing obligation to report any conduct that would require you to answer "yes" to any of the questions in this section during the pendency of your application. If you are admitted, the obligation to report conduct applicable to the questions in this section continues until your first day of class at Duke Law School.

1. Have you ever been placed on academic probation at any post-secondary school, college, university, professional school, or law school?

2. If you answered "yes" to the above question, please provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances and outcomes. Use the Miscellaneous Addendum attachment if you need additional space to provide a full account. (maximum characters 3000)

3. Have you ever been warned, dropped, suspended, placed on disciplinary probation, disciplined, expelled, requested or advised to resign from any post-secondary school, college, university, professional school, or law school?

4. If you answered "yes" to the above question, please provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances and outcomes. Use the Miscellaneous Addendum attachment if you need additional space to provide a full account. You will also be required to have a dean, registrar, department supervisor, judicial officer, or academic officer with access to official records from your institution submit a letter directly to the Office of Admissions that provides complete information about the incident. (maximum characters 3000)

5. Have you ever (i) been arrested, charged or cited for a crime or (ii) been convicted of any offense other than a minor traffic violation? You are not required to report any matter that has been expunged by a court of law.

6. If you answered "yes" to the above question, please provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances and outcomes. Use the Miscellaneous Addendum attachment if you need additional space to provide a full account. (maximum characters 3000)
------------------------

Northwestern:
1. Have you ever been suspended, expelled, placed on probation, or otherwise disciplined by any college or university for academic or other reasons?

2. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been cited, arrested, taken into custody, charged with, indicted, convicted or tried for, or pleaded guilty to, the commission of any felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law, except minor parking or traffic violations, or been the subject of any juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceeding? (If yes, explain on a separate sheet or electronic attachment.)

Please note that although a matter may have been expunged from the records by an order of a court, it nevertheless should be disclosed in the answer to this question. Also, you should have available and be prepared to submit or exhibit copies of police and court records regarding any matter you disclose in reply to this question.

Each state has character and fitness and other qualifications for admission to the bar. Prior to matriculation, all applicants should consult the bar admission authorities in the state in which he or she intends to practice law to determine these requirements. Information about the requirements for admission to the bars of various states is available from the American Bar Association, 321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60610, website http://www.abanet.org.

------------------------

Cornell: If the answer is "yes" to any of the following questions, please submit an explanatory statement in the attachment section.

1. Have you ever been the subject of disciplinary proceedings or been warned; placed on probation; dropped; expelled; or been asked or advised or permitted to withdraw; or been suspended for academic, nonacademic, or any other reasons by any of the colleges, universities, graduate schools, or professional schools you have attended, or are any such proceedings pending? (If yes, please submit an explanatory statement. Also, if yes, you are required to submit a completed Dean's Certification Form from the institution where the infraction occurred or is pending.)


2. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been cited, arrested, taken into custody, charged with, indicted, convicted or tried for, or pleaded guilty to the commission of any felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law, except minor parking or traffic violations, or been the subject of any juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceeding? (If yes, please submit a required explanatory statement.)
Please note that although a conviction may have been expunged from the records by an order of a court, it nevertheless should be disclosed in the answer to this question. Also, you should have available and be prepared to submit or exhibit copies of police and court records regarding any matter you disclose in reply to this question.


3. Have you ever served on full-time active military duty?

4. If you answer yes, was your discharge under conditions other than honorable? (If yes, please submit a required explanatory statement.)
------------------------

Georgetown: If your answer to any of these questions is "yes," please explain fully and submit as an attachment or email directly to the Office of Admissions at admis@law.georgetown.edu. Your application is incomplete until receipt of applicable explanations.

1. Have you ever been the subject of any disciplinary action taken by any college or university?

2. Have you ever been placed on academic probation?

3. Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense, or is any charge now pending against you for any crime other than a traffic violation?

4. Have you ever been separated from a branch of the armed forces of the United States under conditions other than favorable?

5. Has your college, university, graduate, or professional school course of study been interrupted for one or more terms for any reason?
------------------------

That's all folks. Hope that helps.

[esse est percipi]

Thanks so much.

Do you know if Duke has changed its question from last year? Specifically regarding the expungement thing.

[t-14orbust]

Nope, sorry. Maybe someone else can chime in on that one. Or you can try the Duke 2012-2013 Cycle thread. Good luck breh

[FluffMonster]

Number 6 from NYU: does that include minor traffic violations?

[t-14orbust]

Number 6 from NYU: does that include minor traffic violations?

Based on how open-ended the question is, I would say yes. I think a traffic violation qualifies as an 'offense'. But this seems like the perfect instance for: 'If you are unsure whether a particular event must be revealed in answer to any of these questions, you should contact the Office of Admissions.'

They might say that they don't want to hear about the parking tickets you got or the one time you were 5 miles over the speed limit on an open freeway during a clear day.

[Mojosodope]

thanks for posting this

[t-14orbust]

No problem dude, glad I could help at least one person. I think it'll come into play much more around July/August as people prepare to apply for the next cycle.

[20141023]

.

[thisiswater]

So, is there any place you can go to get that info on traffic tickets? Like, do state databases keep track of that stuff?

[t-14orbust]

So, is there any place you can go to get that info on traffic tickets? Like, do state databases keep track of that stuff?

I think the DMV should have it

[90convoy]

1. At any educational institution, have you ever been found responsible for behavioral misconduct that resulted in anything more than a verbal reprimand or are any charges pending?

This includes high school?

[t-14orbust]

1. At any educational institution, have you ever been found responsible for behavioral misconduct that resulted in anything more than a verbal reprimand or are any charges pending?

This includes high school?

A TLSer contacted the adcomm and they said these generally apply to colleges unless it was fairly egregious. If you were suspended in HS I'd imagine that applies. If you got a detention for being late, I don't think that will matter lol. They really should have worded it differently IMO. Nonetheless, call and find out.

[90convoy]

Okay thanks! Yeah, with my situation I will definitely be contacting them.

[Cuneiform]

This might be a stupid question, but isn't the point of having your record expunged - especially as a minor - is so that you don't have to reveal it?

[Clearly]

Does nyu expect speeding tickets?

[t-14orbust]

This might be a stupid question, but isn't the point of having your record expunged - especially as a minor - is so that you don't have to reveal it?

welcome to law school/bar admissions

[t-14orbust]

Does nyu expect speeding tickets?

looks like it. I don't even think it's worth calling about since speeding tickets are so minor they probably won't care. If you have an egregious amount and are worried about that, that's something you should probably be disclosing anyways. So I'd say you should disclose nonetheless.

[Power_of_Facing]

Has anyone had any success locating an online records database for parking tickets?

My state's DMV has driving record reports available (for a nominal fee, naturally), but I've had rotten luck finding an account of my parking ticket history.

Ughhhh....

[axel.foley]

Yale: "2. At any college or university, have you ever been suspended, expelled, or required to withdraw, or been the subject of any other disciplinary action or proceeding for misconduct or deficient scholarship, or are there any charges pending against you?"

My understanding is this: Yale, unlike other law schools, asks if you have ever been the SUBJECT of ANY proceeding for misconduct. Therefore, we have to report any proceeding that occurred even if we were found NOT guilty for the offense. Is this correct?

This might be better explained with my example. I have one clear C&F violation: drinking in my dorm freshmen year. I am going to report this. However, there were several times where my roommates were drinking and I was not. It is my university's policy that the RA has to take down everyone's name regardless, and we still have to meet with the person in charge of our dorm. In these instances, I was always found innocent. It seems that for other law schools, I don't have to report this. But do I for Yale? I'm worried it might look more like a "pattern" since these accusations happened 4 or so times, even though I was always found not guilty...

Thanks for the help guys.

[t-14orbust]

Yale: "2. At any college or university, have you ever been suspended, expelled, or required to withdraw, or been the subject of any other disciplinary action or proceeding for misconduct or deficient scholarship, or are there any charges pending against you?"

My understanding is this: Yale, unlike other law schools, asks if you have ever been the SUBJECT of ANY proceeding for misconduct. Therefore, we have to report any proceeding that occurred even if we were found NOT guilty for the offense. Is this correct?

This might be better explained with my example. I have one clear C&F violation: drinking in my dorm freshmen year. I am going to report this. However, there were several times where my roommates were drinking and I was not. It is my university's policy that the RA has to take down everyone's name regardless, and we still have to meet with the person in charge of our dorm. In these instances, I was always found innocent. It seems that for other law schools, I don't have to report this. But do I for Yale? I'm worried it might look more like a "pattern" since these accusations happened 4 or so times, even though I was always found not guilty...

Thanks for the help guys.

I have the same problem. I will be disclosing. I don't think it will be a problem if you were found innocent as I was. Besides, Asha loves candor.

edit: FWIW Stanford wants proceedings as well.

[Iroh]

So to clarify, for those of us who have had academic/disciplinary issues in undergrad, the only T-14 schools which require us to submit a dean's certification letter/form are NYU, Columbia, Duke, and Cornell, right?

[jjleague]

The best advice I rcvd was if you have to ask then you should report. You need to demonstrate you have overcome stupidity and become a more mature and responsible person.

If its major then contact the local court and have them supply the documentation they have on file. Most states will destroy the files after 5-7 years but they will keep certain specifics in docket records. If the incident occurred decades ago then it may not be kept electronically but will be stored on paper in the county clerk or equivalent location which makes research a tad more difficult if you are no longer local.

You can do a search for speeding tickets on the forums and there is boiler plate that should suffice for most schools. If they want more they will request supportind documentationm, trust me you are not alone. You should also contact the Bar in any state you wish to be licensed and see what information they will be requesting.

[elastigirl]

Out of curiosity, do questions for all these schools about behavior pertaining to an educational institution only pertain to when someone was a student at a school? Anything that happens after someone graduates is not encompassed by the question (unless of course they fall into the general crime question).

Like question 1 from Chicago:
"In connection with your enrollment at any college, university, or other institution of higher education..."

or question 1 from UVA:
"Have you ever been subject to verbal or written discipline (informal or formal, and of any type, such as but not limited to warning, reprimand, suspension, and/or dismissal) for scholastic or other reasons in any of the colleges, universities, graduate or professional schools you have attended, or by any employer?"

[midwest17]

Out of curiosity, do questions for all these schools about behavior pertaining to an educational institution only pertain to when someone was a student at a school? Anything that happens after someone graduates is not encompassed by the question (unless of course they fall into the general crime question).

Like question 1 from Chicago:
"In connection with your enrollment at any college, university, or other institution of higher education..."

or question 1 from UVA:
"Have you ever been subject to verbal or written discipline (informal or formal, and of any type, such as but not limited to warning, reprimand, suspension, and/or dismissal) for scholastic or other reasons in any of the colleges, universities, graduate or professional schools you have attended, or by any employer?"

They only apply to school's you've attended, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they only apply to incidents that occurred while you were attending. If, for instance, you got censured by a school for lying about your grades from there (I have no idea if this actually happens) after you graduated, then that would still be "in connection with your enrollment," and it would still be "verbal or written discipline...for scholastic...reasons in [a] college...you have attended".

If you got cited by university police for being drunk on campus after you graduated, though, I don't think it would fall under these questions.

Without more specifics it's impossible to answer non-hypothetically.

[malleus discentium]

I have a speeding ticket from three years ago. Other than for Harvard, who explicitly excludes those, should I just disclose it to everyone? Or does it count as a "minor traffic/parking violation"? Is it going to annoy anyone if I submit the addendum when they didn't actually want it? The nerves are real, guys.