Disciplinary Action in Law School--C&F? Forum

[Honeysuckle]

My sister is bipolar and struggled throughout high school with manic outbursts that resulted in property damage, physical altercations, and struggles with school. So I understand the particular issues that come with bipolar disorder and the difficult path to stability. I empathize and sympathize with you, and I wish you well in your recovery and continued progress towards mental wellness. It is not an easy road - you need to focus on your mental health above all else - even school, becoming a lawyer, everything.

With that being said, I don't think your as stable as you believe you are - or at least you are projecting that you are not. From your online posts, you are projecting a manic thought process. You are obsessing over things that you have no control over at this point, as well as things that are contingent on other things happening first. You need to organize your thinking.

1. The first step will be trying to talk to the school about reinstating you. If you cannot get reinstated, there is no use in any of these worries you currently have. There is nothing you can do until July, when the school asked you to provide them with the information. In July, you need to provide them with exactly what they ask for. Nothing less, nothing more. Sending a bunch of irrelevant (I know you think they are relevant, but they are not relevant to the school which is all that matters) is not going to help matters. Send your medical information. Do not send things from professors, fellow students, or employers unless asked. It is unnecessary and considering your history with the administration, you don't want to aggravate them any more. Just do as they say, play by the rules, and cross your fingers. They did not kick you out because of your illness, they kicked you out because of your actions. I understand that your illness explains it. I get it, and I agree that there was a reason. However, these are the consequences of your actions - that's it. Your school has a right to ensure the safety of faculty, staff, and students. Unless they know that you are 100% safe to have around, they aren't letting you back in. So it's better for you to keep your head down and do exactly as they say with no challenge or struggle. The more you fight, the more they are going to want to fight back.

2. I know that you do not want to attend your current school for 3L. However, transferring is not a possibility. You HAVE to spend two years at the school that gives you your diploma. As has already been discussed, though, once you are allowed back into your school (if they in fact allow you back), you can apply to visit at a local school for 3L. However, you're going to have to disclose this on applications for other schools. They absolutely ask about these kind of things. That means that even if your current school lets you back in, there is no guarantee that you will be admitted to another school. You shouldn't worry about this until you hear back from your school.

3. It seems as though stress may be a trigger for you. It seems to me that you are stressed about being readmitted (understandably so, you have time and money invested). It is bringing out this obsession with certain small things without seeing the bigger picture. Could law school trigger this further - could it cause you to once again act out? Law school is stressful, as is the job process and the bar exam. Are you sure you are at a point where you can handle that? Have you thought about waiting longer to make sure that you are 100%?

4. The C & F process is going to be extremely difficult no matter what jurisdiction you apply to the bar in. Every state is going to have questions about this. That is another reason that you need to be extremely careful how you handle this situation now - because in a year or two, a group of people is going to be reviewing everything you did. But don't worry about C & F right now. You should try to tackle one thing at a time - first rea-dmittance to your current school, then admittance to another school to visit for 3L, then the bar and C & F, then a job. Do one thing at a time.

I wish you would objectively read some of these posts. While some of them are insensitive and in your opinion unhelpful, they may provide the same perspective that the law school administration may have. You need to respect that not everyone will understand, sympathize, or even care that you have an "explanation" for your actions. You can't force them to understand. You can only do whatever you can to move forward. But ignoring every opinion that you don't agree with because they don't accept you explanation is not a reason. You need to accept some of these things, and work within the paradigm. Without doing that, you aren't going to be able to do any of this. Also, know that your psychiatric treatment providers are good people and are there to help you. However, they cannot provide legal advice or help tell you what to do. They are likely afraid to share any dissenting opinion with you, for fear that you will stop seeking treatment or ignore their help. They are going to affirm your thinking - that's part of their job. That's another reason why other opinions, from non-involved parties, are so valuable.

I wish you good luck with whatever you pursue. Remember, nothing is more important than your health.

I will not sit out another year. I am sick of languishing in unpaid internship after unpaid internship. I want to complete my JD at a local school, pass the bar, get out of the Vale, and make a goddamn living. I'm 27 for crying out loud, and I am understandably envious to see my peers with spouses, children, houses and careers. I want to move on with my life and the school is preventing me from doing that.

[DELG]

Wow that is totally nonresponsive to all those really good points in that post.

The fact you don't want to wait longer doesn't make it not the best thing for you and since you don't seem ready to go back maybe you're not as close to being ready as you think.

[mmelittlechicken]

Why doesn't someone lock this thread already? OP doesn't want advice and is just posting a ton of personal information for no reason.

[Honeysuckle]

How will I explain to employers a two year gap? That's not a good look. I'm sick of doing indentured servitude. I want to move on with my life, and taking another year off will just make my condition worsen.

[Honeysuckle]

Wow that is totally nonresponsive to all those really good points in that post.

The fact you don't want to wait longer doesn't make it not the best thing for you and since you don't seem ready to go back maybe you're not as close to being ready as you think.

My psychotherapist says I am ready to go back. She, who has actually met with me face to face once a week for months, probably know more about my mental well-being than a bunch of anonymous internet strangers.

Again, there's the resume problem. Also the money problem (I can't do unpaid internships indefinitely)

Re: evidence, I will have submitted whatever is relevant to showing my stability.

[DELG]

Wow that is totally nonresponsive to all those really good points in that post.

The fact you don't want to wait longer doesn't make it not the best thing for you and since you don't seem ready to go back maybe you're not as close to being ready as you think.

My psychotherapist says I am ready to go back. She, who has actually met with me face to face once a week for months, probably know more about my mental well-being than a bunch of anonymous internet strangers.

Again, there's the resume problem. Also the money problem (I can't do unpaid internships indefinitely)

Re: evidence, I will have submitted whatever is relevant to showing my stability.

Does your psychotherapist know anything about C&F (distance from this mess will hugely help) how stressful law school and the bar exam will be, etc.? Does your psychotherapist know about your super extensive, obsessive Internet advice-soliciting campaign?

[A. Nony Mouse]

Yeah, Honeysuckle, I'm going to lock this because you're in any state of mind to listen to anybody, you're just repeating the same things over and over and can't see the problems in what you're saying.