Character and Fitness!!! Forum

(Applications Advice, Letters of Recommendation . . . )
Post Reply
User avatar
UOI4430

Bronze
Posts: 182
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 6:29 pm

Character and Fitness!!!

Post by UOI4430 » Wed Dec 10, 2014 7:53 pm

Hey everyone,

So, I got caught smoking weed on campus my freshman year and had to take the two-hour "self over substance" class. I don't have any idea if this is recorded anywhere or not. Should I list this under the character and fitness section of my applications? I want to be honest, but I don't want to bring it up if I don't need to.

Also, does a minor issue like this have any tangible impact on an application?

Thanks!

Avlyre

New
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2014 6:34 pm

Re: Character and Fitness!!!

Post by Avlyre » Wed Dec 10, 2014 8:09 pm

Call your school and ask whether there are any marks on your record, explain why you want to know so they actually look. Even if they say no, call the law schools you want to apply to (without giving your name) and tell them a simplified version of the situation. Ask whether it needs to be shared. From past experience (with academic problems, not weed), there's a good chance that they will tell you to err on the side of caution. Even if it's not on your school record, it may be somewhere else, and if it comes up later in your career, it could screw you over. It's better to look like a foolish kid, as opposed to a foolish kid who tried to lie to law schools. Chances are high that you will have to mention it, drugs are not generally something that a LAW school will ignore.

User avatar
encore1101

Silver
Posts: 826
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:13 am

Re: Character and Fitness!!!

Post by encore1101 » Wed Dec 10, 2014 8:41 pm

so long as its not indicative of a pattern of behavior (i.e. its your only one), i doubt law schools will care.

i'm sure half of the adcomms are baked just to get through the applicants

User avatar
bluchai

New
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2014 11:01 am

Re: Character and Fitness!!!

Post by bluchai » Wed Dec 10, 2014 8:56 pm

encore1101 wrote:so long as its not indicative of a pattern of behavior (i.e. its your only one), i doubt law schools will care.

i'm sure half of the adcomms are baked just to get through the applicants
I laughed a little harder than I should reading this last sentence.

abasba32

New
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2014 9:33 pm

Re: Character and Fitness!!!

Post by abasba32 » Wed Dec 10, 2014 9:36 pm

put it on...

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


User avatar
pylon

Silver
Posts: 929
Joined: Sun Aug 17, 2014 8:58 pm

Re: Character and Fitness!!!

Post by pylon » Wed Dec 10, 2014 11:09 pm

Read the question prompt for each school because they vary, but I would put it on there. This is something that could hurt if it came up later and you didn't disclose.

User avatar
cc78

Silver
Posts: 574
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2014 2:00 pm

Re: Character and Fitness!!!

Post by cc78 » Thu Dec 11, 2014 1:46 am

In your shoes, I'd disclose. Smoking a little weed is definitely not an offense of moral turpitude and I'm sure that after your 2-hour class you've changed your ways........right? Anyway, I don't think schools will care. I suspect stuff like this is common.

User avatar
KMart

Gold
Posts: 4369
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:25 am

Re: Character and Fitness!!!

Post by KMart » Thu Dec 11, 2014 3:43 am

Disclosure is the safer option. It won't be a big deal. I read Spivey say somewhere in his mega-thread of admissions advice that a lot of applicants actually have C&F issues. As long as it's not a patterned behavior you're good.

SPerez

Bronze
Posts: 416
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 11:22 am

Re: Character and Fitness!!!

Post by SPerez » Thu Dec 11, 2014 2:23 pm

I feel pretty confident in saying that this absolutely, 100% needs to be disclosed on every single law school's application. Most C&F questions do not start out with "Is there a record that...". Whether or not it is in your file (which, BTW, it almost certainly is if you were required to attend a class) is irrelevant. I'm going to assume that you haven't read the C&F questions on the apps yet because once you do, it is pretty clear that something like this falls squarely in the range of required disclosures.

It's almost never the offense that gets people, it's not disclosing it. As long as this isn't one piece in a pattern of behavior, you don't have anything to worry about by disclosing.

Dean Perez
Texas Tech Law

Want to continue reading?

Register for access!

Did I mention it was FREE ?


User avatar
UOI4430

Bronze
Posts: 182
Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2014 6:29 pm

Re: Character and Fitness!!!

Post by UOI4430 » Thu Dec 11, 2014 3:39 pm

SPerez wrote:I feel pretty confident in saying that this absolutely, 100% needs to be disclosed on every single law school's application. Most C&F questions do not start out with "Is there a record that...". Whether or not it is in your file (which, BTW, it almost certainly is if you were required to attend a class) is irrelevant. I'm going to assume that you haven't read the C&F questions on the apps yet because once you do, it is pretty clear that something like this falls squarely in the range of required disclosures.

It's almost never the offense that gets people, it's not disclosing it. As long as this isn't one piece in a pattern of behavior, you don't have anything to worry about by disclosing.

Dean Perez
Texas Tech Law
Thank you for the advice. It is the only time I have been reprimanded as a student.

User avatar
RCSOB657

Gold
Posts: 3346
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2014 2:50 am

Re: Character and Fitness!!!

Post by RCSOB657 » Thu Dec 11, 2014 3:42 pm

UOI4430 wrote:
SPerez wrote:I feel pretty confident in saying that this absolutely, 100% needs to be disclosed on every single law school's application. Most C&F questions do not start out with "Is there a record that...". Whether or not it is in your file (which, BTW, it almost certainly is if you were required to attend a class) is irrelevant. I'm going to assume that you haven't read the C&F questions on the apps yet because once you do, it is pretty clear that something like this falls squarely in the range of required disclosures.

It's almost never the offense that gets people, it's not disclosing it. As long as this isn't one piece in a pattern of behavior, you don't have anything to worry about by disclosing.

Dean Perez
Texas Tech Law
Thank you for the advice. It is the only time I have been reprimanded as a student.
Well then as long as you have nothing else criminal in your background you'll be fine. Good luck.

User avatar
filibuster

Bronze
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 1:05 pm

Re: Character and Fitness!!!

Post by filibuster » Thu Dec 11, 2014 3:46 pm

Retake!!

In all seriousness, just disclose.

logdog

Bronze
Posts: 136
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2014 10:22 am

Re: Character and Fitness!!!

Post by logdog » Thu Dec 11, 2014 4:04 pm

The dean of my law school told us during orientation that the "young and dumb" excuse is usually a pretty valid excuse for things like this that occurred before law school.

Register now!

Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.

It's still FREE!


Post Reply

Return to “Law School Admissions Forum”