Law school applicant with 11 misdemeanor convictions??
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 5:52 am
Please, no jokes or accusations of trolling. I want only serious responses, as I am a serious person.
I am a 43 year old single female. I very much want to go to law school and finish this time. In 1992, right after I graduated from college, I attended at top 25 law school, but withdrew after a semester for non-academic, health reasons.
As an undergraduate, I had a 3.96 GPA out of 4.00 from a top 25 national university, graduated summa cum laude, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, etc. I also placed in the 99.6 percentile for the LSAT the last time I took the test in 1996. That's higher than the median LSAT score for any law school.
I also was matriculated in a Ph.D. program in an academic field at an Ivy League school from 2000-2002, but withdrew for non-academic, health reasons.
After withdrawing from law school in 1993, I had 11 criminal convictions: 10 misdemeanor and 1 summary (less than misdemeanor; it is on par with a traffic ticket). The misdemeanors were mostly in 1995-96. The 1 summary conviction was in 2003. These were for writing bad checks, driving after license suspension, retail theft, and residential theft.
I was also arrested in 2006 for felony identity theft, misdemeanor receiving stolen property, etc., but all the 5 charges were dropped in return for payment of restitution in 2006. Those arrests, as well as the one summary conviction, can be expunged/pardoned if I apply and cough up the fees. But the remaining 10 misdemeanors are from another state, and it does not offer routine pardons.
I also have 5 active arrest warrants from out-of-state [4 traffic from 2006-2008, and 1 misdemeanor for false personation from 2008 (lying about your name and date of birth to police)], which I will take care of shortly once I have the money to travel back there, across the county, to make an appearance in court. I expect that one criminal charge to be dismissed; and I will just pay the 4 traffic fines to clear those warrants.
If it matters at all, I have a poor credit history (including a judgment against me), have an open Chapter 7 bankruptcy, was involuntarily hospitalized in various psychiatric facilities six times in my wild youth in the mid-1990's, and have received Social Security Disability since 1993 for non-serious mental illnesses. I also have 4 or 5 trespassing notices issued against me in 2009, and a 1-year restraining order issued against me from 1997. And I have 9 or so traffic tickets from 1991-2003, which have been taken care of. And a number of past and current driver's license/registration suspensions. As well as some parking tickets.
I also lied on my application for law school in 1992 by not disclosing my prior one or two traffic convictions, but I plan to be honest this time around.
I know all the above looks bad, but it really isn't. I could sit here and give you the sad story of my life and childhood, but I am not. Suffice it to say, I am pulling myself up by the bootstraps and going to start a new life at 43. I had a stroke in 2011, which has led me to become a more mature person. I want to get off disability, food stamps, Medicare/Medicaid, etc. and finish my education.
I want to start fresh and go to a new law school, preferably a top-tier one. What are my chances for admission, as well as for passing the Bar's character and fitness requirements?
Thanks!
I am a 43 year old single female. I very much want to go to law school and finish this time. In 1992, right after I graduated from college, I attended at top 25 law school, but withdrew after a semester for non-academic, health reasons.
As an undergraduate, I had a 3.96 GPA out of 4.00 from a top 25 national university, graduated summa cum laude, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, etc. I also placed in the 99.6 percentile for the LSAT the last time I took the test in 1996. That's higher than the median LSAT score for any law school.
I also was matriculated in a Ph.D. program in an academic field at an Ivy League school from 2000-2002, but withdrew for non-academic, health reasons.
After withdrawing from law school in 1993, I had 11 criminal convictions: 10 misdemeanor and 1 summary (less than misdemeanor; it is on par with a traffic ticket). The misdemeanors were mostly in 1995-96. The 1 summary conviction was in 2003. These were for writing bad checks, driving after license suspension, retail theft, and residential theft.
I was also arrested in 2006 for felony identity theft, misdemeanor receiving stolen property, etc., but all the 5 charges were dropped in return for payment of restitution in 2006. Those arrests, as well as the one summary conviction, can be expunged/pardoned if I apply and cough up the fees. But the remaining 10 misdemeanors are from another state, and it does not offer routine pardons.
I also have 5 active arrest warrants from out-of-state [4 traffic from 2006-2008, and 1 misdemeanor for false personation from 2008 (lying about your name and date of birth to police)], which I will take care of shortly once I have the money to travel back there, across the county, to make an appearance in court. I expect that one criminal charge to be dismissed; and I will just pay the 4 traffic fines to clear those warrants.
If it matters at all, I have a poor credit history (including a judgment against me), have an open Chapter 7 bankruptcy, was involuntarily hospitalized in various psychiatric facilities six times in my wild youth in the mid-1990's, and have received Social Security Disability since 1993 for non-serious mental illnesses. I also have 4 or 5 trespassing notices issued against me in 2009, and a 1-year restraining order issued against me from 1997. And I have 9 or so traffic tickets from 1991-2003, which have been taken care of. And a number of past and current driver's license/registration suspensions. As well as some parking tickets.
I also lied on my application for law school in 1992 by not disclosing my prior one or two traffic convictions, but I plan to be honest this time around.
I know all the above looks bad, but it really isn't. I could sit here and give you the sad story of my life and childhood, but I am not. Suffice it to say, I am pulling myself up by the bootstraps and going to start a new life at 43. I had a stroke in 2011, which has led me to become a more mature person. I want to get off disability, food stamps, Medicare/Medicaid, etc. and finish my education.
I want to start fresh and go to a new law school, preferably a top-tier one. What are my chances for admission, as well as for passing the Bar's character and fitness requirements?
Thanks!