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[js1663]

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[k5220]

I don't think you have to disclose being sued in a civil case when a school's C&F question looks like that. A civil suit is not educational misconduct, professional discipline, or a misdemeanor/felony, so it clearly falls outside the questions Harvard is asking. As long as you are totally honest in your answers on your application, you should be fine.

[js1663]

[AReasonableMan]

Civil litigation is a bar app question in many states (both as a plaintiff or defendant). I guess one could sell yours as professional discipline in that it's discipline related to your time in a professional position, but you'd have to be pretty square to buy that argument.

[js1663]

[Mr. Elshal]

Civil litigation is a bar app question in many states (both as a plaintiff or defendant). I guess one could sell yours as professional discipline in that it's discipline related to your time in a professional position, but you'd have to be pretty square to buy that argument.

And that's what my friend who's an attorney was saying and what I'm wondering - is it going to be a problem with the bar if I disclose it there but never disclosed it to the law school I attended (because as far as I'm aware I didn't have to) - though I suppose like you're saying maybe it could be argued it's discipline? It's a suit for alleged infarctions against them in our capacity as members of the organization... so maybe it falls under that even though it's not disciplinary action from within the organization... Would it be best to just disclose to Harvard just in case and would would there be any disadvantage to doing so? And if I should disclose how would I go about doing that?

I assume you don't feel comfortable going to Harvard with the question but maybe you can call them from a blocked number and just ask. They can certainly address all of these concerns.

[k5220]

Civil litigation is a bar app question in many states (both as a plaintiff or defendant). I guess one could sell yours as professional discipline in that it's discipline related to your time in a professional position, but you'd have to be pretty square to buy that argument.

Still, it's hardly disciplinary sanctions or charges "in a professional setting." If you think it's ambiguous though, you could definitely just call up the admissions office, let them know about the case, and ask if you need to amend your answers. I don't think there would be any disadvantage to letting them know.

[unlicensedpotato]

As others said, it's definitely a bar app question. My firm also asked about any civil litigation within the past (I believe) 10 years. I don't think your situation would be a problem for either of these though.

Edit: To answer one of your earlier questions, you may get squeezed and have to tell the school eventually. The common wisdom on here is that it's a red flag if you're disclosing something to the bar that wasn't on your LS application. So people generally recommend that you amend your LS application to include anything you'll have to disclose to the bar. I don't know anything about this personally though and it seems like kind of BS to me.

[js1663]

[A. Nony Mouse]

I don't think there's necessarily a problem if you disclose something on the bar that you didn't disclose in your law school application, as long as the law school application didn't ask about it. The point is that the bar examiners will (or can, I don't know if all states routinely do this for all applicants, but they certainly can) compare your bar application with your law school application, and discrepancies will be a problem. But if the law school app flat out didn't ask you about certain things, and the bar application does, that's not going to be a problem. Schools often tailor their applications around what their state requires on the bar, but obviously if you go to school in one state and then take the bar in another, the applications may not ask for the same stuff.

(Anecdotal example: my understanding based on stuff I've read here is that Mass. doesn't ask you about expunged charges/convictions on your bar application, and that's why Harvard doesn't require you to disclose them on your LS application. However, if you went to Harvard, then applied to the bar in a state that required disclosure of expunged charges, you'd still have to disclose them. But you wouldn't get dinged for not having told Harvard about something they didn't ask for in the first place.)

The problem people run into is that they genuinely forget stuff when applying to LS that they figure out they should have disclosed when they get to the bar exam, or they misunderstand/misinterpret a question when applying to law school, and by the time of the bar app realize there's something in their past that actually did fall into that category etc.

[NoBladesNoBows]

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