Law School Admissions Forum

[BlueDevil62190]

Hi everyone. This is my first time posting on this forum. The summer after I graduated from high school I was arrested for shoplifting. However, it was not my fault; my brother and I were with an individual (former friend) who decided to take a pair of sunglasses at the mall. Unfortunately, all three of us were arrested, although my brother and I had no idea of the other individual's intention to take anything (a rule called "hand of one, hand of all"). My brother and I went through the pre-trial intervention program and everything has since been expunged. However, I feel as if it's best to disclose this incident on law school applications. I plan on having the parents of the individual who stole the sunglasses write a letter verifying that my brother and I were not at fault (they even agreed to cover all costs pertaining to the program, etc.). I'm a URM (African American/male) currently entering my junior year and preparing to take the LSAT next June. I have no/had no other infractions, academic or otherwise, before or after this incident (which occured in 2008), and regard myself as a good student: 3.9 GPA, multiple scholarships, Dean's List (every semester), Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, Phi Sigma Iota National Foreign Language Honor Society, Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society, study abroad, summer research, will have glowing recommendations, etc. Will this in any way negatively impact possible law school applications? I've e-mailed the admissions offices of law schools to which I'm interesting in applying, and all have unanimously said that it is best to disclose this incident, but that it will have no negative impact on my application. However, does anyone have any advice, feedback, perhaps from a similar incident? Thank you in advance!

[testmachine45]

Yes. Must disclose. Doesn't matter.

[Sell Manilla]

It's expunged, but it still exists on a record, even if it isn't your official "record".
If you lie about it on your law school apps, they'll prolly catch it when you sit for the bar. ... & maybe you wouldn't wind up sitting at all. I have no idea if it'd be enough to declare you unfit, but you certainly don't want to run the risk.

[manbearwig]

Rock the LSAT, disclose, and go to any law school you want.

[KibblesAndVick]

If you're an AA male with a 3.9 GPA they aren't going to blink an eye before accepting you. As long as you don't tell them that you love shoplifting and look forward to swiping things from their office, you're so set it isn't even funny.

All you have to do is score highly on the LSAT and the world is your oyster.

[sumus romani]

I wonder if adcoms ever come accross a disclosure in which the person making the disclosure actually admits that she is responsible for the infraction.

[Knock]

If you're an AA male with a 3.9 GPA they aren't going to blink an eye before accepting you. As long as you don't tell them that you love shoplifting and look forward to swiping things from their office, you're so set it isn't even funny.

All you have to do is score highly on the LSAT and the world is your oyster.

Even if you did, it probably wouldn't stop them from accepting you

[Marionberry]

Read the application for each schools. Many schools do not require the disclosure of expunged offenses, they will say it explicitly. If it isn't required, don't disclose. Even if they used some private database and found record of the arrest, you didn't lie on the app, and that's what they care about. Don't disclose if you're not asked to, do if you are.

[BlueDevil62190]

Thanks for the help! Friends of mine have told me that, being an AA male with a stellar GPA, I should aim for a 166/167 to crack the T14. Of course I'm trying to get the best possible score I can, but do you guys agree? I'm a rising junior and I plan on taking the LSAT in February (leaving June for a possible retake), so I've already started studying - I've already worked through the three PowerScore books and will skim each one one more time before diving into practice tests. I'm also going to take a Kaplan class in the fall. I know a class is not necessary to score well, but I've heard that the access to testing materials makes it worth the while (plus it forces one to practice). After the class, I should have about three more months to prepare, including an entire month of uninterrupted self-study time. A few people I've talked to have been wary of me taking the LSAT for the first time in February and instead recommend June with a possible retake in October. However, I've been reading the articles on this website and a majority of them highly recommend submitting applications as early as possible, which would be around the middle/end of September. What do you guys think? I've worked hard thus far to be where I am, so missing out on gaining admission to a T14 simply due to lack of LSAT preparation is out of the question.

[Knock]

Thanks for the help! Friends of mine have told me that, being an AA male with a stellar GPA, I should aim for a 166/167 to crack the T14. Of course I'm trying to get the best possible score I can, but do you guys agree? I'm a rising junior and I plan on taking the LSAT in February (leaving June for a possible retake), so I've already started studying - I've already worked through the three PowerScore books and will skim each one one more time before diving into practice tests. I'm also going to take a Kaplan class in the fall. I know a class is not necessary to score well, but I've heard that the access to testing materials makes it worth the while (plus it forces one to practice). After the class, I should have about three more months to prepare, including an entire month of uninterrupted self-study time. A few people I've talked to have been wary of me taking the LSAT for the first time in February and instead recommend June with a possible retake in October. However, I've been reading the articles on this website and a majority of them highly recommend submitting applications as early as possible, which would be around the middle/end of September. What do you guys think? I've worked hard thus far to be where I am, so missing out on gaining admission to a T14 simply due to lack of LSAT preparation is out of the question.

I wouldn't recommend a February LSAT. For one, it's undisclosed, so you will never know how many questions you miss, what questions you miss, etc. For another, it's during school. If you're on the semester system, the June LSAT is after school is out so you can focus solely on LSAT.

I would also recommend against a Kaplan class. The consensus best LSAT prep companies are (in no particular order) Powerscore, Testmasters, Blueprint. Kaplan is generally considered inferior. Browse this website and read the LSAT prep guides.

[manbearwig]

You should really be golden if you can get a 167. : ) I have a friend, who's an AA female, GPA 3.8+, 163 LSAT, and she got into Columbia and waitlisted at Harvard.

[BlueDevil62190]

Thank you so much! As long as my ducks are in a row, maintaining my GPA shouldn't be impossible, so it call comes down to doing well on the LSAT (167+) and putting together a stellar application. Does anyone else have any advice or tips? I have decided to take the LSAT in June - I'll just be sure to already have all other materials submitted to LSAC, in case I do have to retake in October. I'm guessing the personal statement (wonderfully enlightening study abroad experience in Berlin, Germany, particularly as an AA), diversity statement (multicultural affairs on campus and how I'm involved in the mentoring/outreach program), and addendum should be projects for next summer (before senior year)? Also, I'm considering applying for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Germany (I'm a German Studies and Political Science double major) for the year immediately following undergrad; should I be fortunate enough to be granted such a fantastic opportunity, would most T14 law schools be willing to defer the first year of law school (and not require a a re-application)? Again, thank you!

[vanwinkle]

You'll have to disclose, but as long as you write the addendum properly and it's the only thing on your record, schools will probably overlook it. This will especially be true with your GPA; that is a ballin' GPA to have, and if you can couple it with a high LSAT score you will get acceptances and $$$ and everything you ever dreamed of.

Many schools will grant a one-year deferral for a good reason, and will consider a Fulbright TA posting a very good reason. That's the kind of thing they like their graduates to have in their background. You might have trouble deferring a scholarship if $$$ is offered to you, though; you'll have to work that out with the school that you choose to attend, if they have offered you $$$.

If you can get into HYS (which you can, honestly, if you don't totally screw up the LSAT) then their financial aid is all need-based anyway, so you'll just reapply and probably get similar aid to what you were getting.

Study hard, and good luck! You have a bright future ahead of you.

[rdcws000]

When you disclose, resist the temptation to say this:

I was arrested for shoplifting. However, it was not my fault

[BlueDevil62190]

I'll keep what everyone said in mind!