Pending Charges at UG Forum

[NomNom]

This is just all bizarre.

You are a functioning heroin addict. It takes guts to admit that. However, you do not belong anywhere near a law school until you are clean...for a long time...and can identify WHY you were an addict in the first place. Right now, law school should not even be a consideration for you. Period.

I know why, it's because I'm bipolar and have rapid cycling. Like I said, school's about the only thing that kept things together. If you haven't been a heavy drug user, it's not really right to tell people who are more experienced what they are and aren't capable of while on drugs. I don't go around giving marriage advise to people who are married. People are getting off topic. The questions I have are in regards to discloser, and how to disclose this. If I can't do law school, I can leave. I've worked hard to get in, and I think it's bizarre for a person who has no experience, first hand, with heroin addiction, to tell someone who has extensive drug experience what you just stated. I'm not pissed or anything, and I don't take it personal at all, I can understand why someone would think that. But you may want to read up on heroin addiction, read some ethnography's, to better understand what functioning addiction is.

You're right. I have no first hand experience with heroin addiction. However, in regard to disclosure and addendums...there's a big difference in disclosing you HAD a problem and kicked it. Rationalizing that you are a functioning heroin addict is something else. I am not passing judgement. I have sincere concern for your health. You seem like a sharp kid. Get yourself some help before this thing consumes you. Law school, IMHO, is not the answer just yet.

[89vision]

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[AriGoldButNicer]

He does have to disclose, but if he always succeeds in ug despite heroine, what evidence is there he'll do worse grade wise than a non-heroine addicted student who succeeds in college?

[Flips88]

To answer your question directly. You should disclose. If you do not and something comes of it, you're screwed. However, by disclosing, you're also likely screwed because schools likely won't want to take a gamble on you. I mean, you went to a meeting with a school official high on heroin. It tells them you are immature and not ready for law school. Not sure how any school that has accepted you would proceed, but would not be surprised if they withdrew acceptance for similar reasons. This would likely be a serious character and fitness issue that may keep you from sitting for the bar. You're likely damned if you do and damned if you don't.

[89vision]

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[NomNom]

If it were me, I would call first and explain...ask them how you should disclose (email, letter). Then I would explain there is a pending charge with no final outcome. Let them know you will disclose the findings/decision once made. See what they say.

[89vision]

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[fatduck]

Thanks for keepin it real. I'm not addicted right now, I'm weaning off/doing it recreationally when I have money. By addiction I mean doing as much as I can when I can, not being getting dope sick when I'm not using. The issue with the school was more of a relapse than full blown addiction. I had a bunch of free time when classes ended, and had a intense bender. I documented through emails I was clean most of the semester, but the tailend was a bit out of hand. I am talking with my adviser about how to disclose this. Maybe I didn't explain that very well, but the incident was the result of a bender after a period of sobriety. I went to rehab in the summer, but had some issues during the semester. The last three years have been on and off addiction. Only a few times have I actually had real withdrawal. Like I said, my life is no where near an intervention episode.

here is some absolute truth for you:

you're addicted. you are going to relapse. you need detox and a 12-step program. you will never, ever get clean by "weaning yourself off" heroin or using recreationally. or at all. you need help. without it, you are fucked.

[NZA]

On the one hand, I hope to God for your sake you have a full-ride to whatever school accepted you. On the other, I hope a more deserving applicant received the full-ride.

No offense, but you seem to be handling your problem with a kind of bravado and immaturity that will lead to failure in LS. Then again, I don't know you, so who am I to judge?

[89vision]

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[89vision]

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[moneybagsphd]

Thanks for keepin it real. I'm not addicted right now, I'm weaning off/doing it recreationally when I have money. By addiction I mean doing as much as I can when I can, not being getting dope sick when I'm not using. The issue with the school was more of a relapse than full blown addiction. I had a bunch of free time when classes ended, and had a intense bender. I documented through emails I was clean most of the semester, but the tailend was a bit out of hand. I am talking with my adviser about how to disclose this. Maybe I didn't explain that very well, but the incident was the result of a bender after a period of sobriety. I went to rehab in the summer, but had some issues during the semester. The last three years have been on and off addiction. Only a few times have I actually had real withdrawal. Like I said, my life is no where near an intervention episode.

here is some absolute truth for you:

you're addicted. you are going to relapse. you need detox and a 12-step program. you will never, ever get clean by "weaning yourself off" heroin or using recreationally. or at all. you need help. without it, you are fucked.

Where did you get you're MD/DO? Since when can you predict the future? if I am going to relapse, than why bother doing a "program?" Obviously you have not read my posts. I've done all the standard stuff: rehab, detox, 12-step, SMART recovery, etc; Don't preach about a situation you know very little about.

Again, this is off topic. You really need to research drug use more before you dish out advice on it. The ignorance and the higher than thou mentality demonstrated by people on here is sickening. I'm glad I don't go around giving advice to strangers about things I know nothing about. That's really admirable of you.

Whenever anyone gives you sensible advice, you attack their credibility. A high-stress environment (law school) is not the best place to recover from heroin addiction. If you can't see that, you're a fucking moron. Likely you're just another junkie who thinks they have the power to quit whenever they want. But we're getting away from the point. When you do disclose, you will be rejected everywhere and your offer of acceptance will be rescinded. I don't need to be on an adcomm to know this; it's common sense. It's part of your recent history. If you reapply a year or so down the line, law schools might be willing to overlook this lapse in judgment. No law school is going to roll the dice on a self-confessed heroin addict.

[moneybagsphd]

Ref: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=175321
Gotta wonder if your heroin addiction is the reason you blew the LSAT...

[89vision]

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[NZA]

Then again, I don't know you, so who am I to judge?

Exactly. Making such judgements [sic] about things you don't know about exhibits immaturity that will lead to failure in LS. Sad.

Anyways, I emailed a few schools who asked for an addendum. The school I was accepted to said I could submit an addendum, and I asked for clarification on what information they needed. I told them it was a C&F issue, and they didn't seem too concerned.

Well, thus far I've been pretty successful, but okay.

I don't really care about you. It's more the people who will have to deal with you in LS that I'm worried about.

[89vision]

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[TLS_noobie]

Seriously? Is this not a troll? It seems to me the advice that was originally being sought was delivered within the first few pages. The rest of the posts are rebuttals to everyone else's tangential advice to not go to law school yet. Which, I might add, must have been expected. TLS is pretty famous for advising people to not go to law school and wait out for another cycle if they don't do well enough on the LSAT...let alone if they have a serious affliction such as this one. The fact that OP keeps coming back and rebutting everyone else's comments (that he feels are irrelevant) seems quite suspicious and is definitely fueling the fire. Troll or not, you got your advice and it seems you have acted on it already.

[hyakku]

What else do you want people to say? You seem to be waiting for the one guy to come along and go, "Hey you don't need to disclose, and don't worry about what these other, unexperienced dicks are talking about! I casually did Heroin after being an addict leading up to the summer before LS and did GREAT! You're gonna crush bro!"

Everyone has said the same thing, you should be disclosing, right now. What else are you looking for? People keep judging you because you don't have a genuine fucking interest in not using heroin, not because they are judgmental dicks like you keep trying to say. If you wanted to stop, you wouldn't be "planning" to go to rehab, "recreationally" doing heroin, and going to meetings high on fucking dope. And you're not some unique snowflake. The shattered lives I've witnessed and been a part of due to drug dependency all follow the same pattern, you're no different, and you're not the only one who has experience dealing with this. I'm out of this waste of a thread, I seriously hope you can straighten out before LS.

[Flips88]

You don't go calling people with two drinking citations alcoholics.

Because you, someone who has admittedly been to rehab, what, 3 times are exactly comparable to a person that has two alcohol citations. Oh and I would say that someone that went to a meeting with a university official drunk has a problem with maturity and alcohol.

Where did you get you're MD/DO? Since when can you predict the future? if I am going to relapse, than why bother doing a "program?" Obviously you have not read my posts. I've done all the standard stuff: rehab, detox, 12-step, SMART recovery, etc; Don't preach about a situation you know very little about.

Again, this is off topic. You really need to research drug use more before you dish out advice on it. The ignorance and the higher than thou mentality demonstrated by people on here is sickening. I'm glad I don't go around giving advice to strangers about things I know nothing about. That's really admirable of you.

Ah yes, someone definitely can't say you're highly likely to relapse when you already have multiple times...

Oh yeah, and I'm sure getting a lump sum of $10,000 for living expenses at the semester will work out very well for you since you only buy heroin when you have the money.

[JuneLSATFail]

Oh yeah, and I'm sure getting a lump sum of $10,000 for living expenses at the semester will work out very well for you since you only buy heroin when you have the money.

lol. I am surprised no one has responded with a "retake" yet.

[nsbane]

Dude, I seriously wish you the best. I hope when you find out more, you update everyone with what happens. I think the best way to avoid disclosing this is to withdraw your apps until the investigation blows over. Disclosing that there is an open investigation about meeting with school officials while high on heroin within the past 6 months seems to me like an automatic reject. If you wait, the investigation might end up with nothing, in which case next year you don't have to disclose anything at all. Plus a year gives you work experience which could get you in a better school.

I also think you're not admitting the gravity of the situation, but I don't think I will convince you. I think people will try to grapple with your logic - such as you claiming that school is what keeps you sane, yet it also seems that when you're in school you're regularly high on heroin. But I don't think arguing about your situation is helpful to you, and I hope your friends and family are there for you to give you support.