Top Law Schools

So I was recently charged with a 3rd degree misdemeanor for a dumb prank I did at a bar with a friend. We stole a flag from a bar and alledgedly broke a window. Not sure how gently pulling a flag down breaks a window, but whatever.

Anyway, I have a near full scholarship to a law school in the fall. Do I need to tell them or should I?

Note, it is likely the charges will be dropped if I pay for the dumb window. Even if they aren't if I plead guilty, obviously it won't be on my record forever due to my good behavior.

Give me some advice and genearally thoughts.

Yes, you must report this. It will probably not affect anything. But if you do not report it and they find out, you could get in trouble on C&F (which can see charges even if they were eventually cleared).

Anecdotally, someone I know got charged with resisting arrest the summer before law school (not even convicted). She disclosed it to the school and everything was fine. They said, however, that if she had not disclosed it, it would have been a big problem.

Any thoughts on it affecting my scholarship? Also, what if the charges are dropped?

Any more thoughts?

Honestly, there's really no good advice other than, "disclose asap; do whatever it takes to get the charges dropped."

Good behavior does not remove convictions, even misdemeanors, from your record. You would have to have it expunged, which can be a process.

TCS wrote:Honestly, there's really no good advice other than, "disclose asap; do whatever it takes to get the charges dropped."

+1

Do I disclose via email?

Word document letter?

Anonymous User wrote:Do I disclose via email?

Word document letter?

I would call and speak to the dean or head of the admissions department, then follow up the conversation with an e-mail. The most important thing is owning up to what happened without making excuses or shifting the blame. The acdomms are humans, and understand that 22 year olds do dumb shit.

Be careful with your phrases when disclosing this incident. "Stealing" a flag & "breaking" a tavern's window sounds like two offenses that read more seriously than might be warranted.
Consider: A window was broken while taking a flag from a tavern during a prank.
You may also want to use the word "cited" rather than "charged" if it is appropriate.
Recently I received a citation for a foolish prank; we accidently broke a window while taking a Tavern's flag. I paid for the broken window & accepted responsibility for my foolishness.
Also, if truthful & appropriate, use "tavern" instead of "bar" so as to avoid raising concerns about excessive drinking. Also, don't reveal more than needs to be disclosed. For example, do NOT write that "I was thankful that we weren't charged with public drunkeness or disorderly conduct, and thank God they didn't search us!"
It helps if you think of disclosure as the opposite of a law school exam = you don't want to raise any additional issues in a disclosure.

Absolutely disclose. You don't want to work your tail off for three years, apply for the bar and then not be admitted becuase you failed to mention a misdemeanor (I doubt you'd actually be disqualified, but it could get complicated). For one thing, part of the reason schools want to know so that they can assist you in figuring out whether you still qualify for the bar.

I don't think they'd revoke your scholarship for a prank, but they might for not telling them.

And yes, call.

Any more thoughts on my scholarship status?

It happened Sunday morning at about 1AM.

When should I call the school? My attorney is advising me to call them after I see if the charges will be dropped so I can say to the school that "The charges will be dropped."

THoughts?

Weighing on my mind big time as you can imagine.

I think I'm still in the mode where I can't believe I spent Saturday night locked up.

Anonymous User wrote:THoughts?

Weighing on my mind big time as you can imagine.

I think I'm still in the mode where I can't believe I spent Saturday night locked up.

Dude. It doesn't matter. YOU MUST DISCLOSE. Whatever happens to your scholly from there, happens. If you ever want to practice law, you cannot figure out the possible consequences and then decide whether or not to disclose.

Always Credited wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:THoughts?

Weighing on my mind big time as you can imagine.

I think I'm still in the mode where I can't believe I spent Saturday night locked up.

Dude. It doesn't matter. YOU MUST DISCLOSE. Whatever happens to your scholly from there, happens. If you ever want to practice law, you cannot figure out the possible consequences and then decide whether or not to disclose.

I am going to disclose. However, when should I do it? Right away? Within a week of when the event ocurred?

OP should be outed for violating the terms of the anonymous feature.

You think an arrest isn't sensitive information?

I say risk it.

Anonymous User wrote:You think an arrest isn't sensitive information?

If you read the forum rules in the big orange box above, it's a little more specific than that. It says the anonymous feature is only appropriate when revealing sensitive employment related information about a firm, job, clerkship, etc.

Of course I think it's sensitive information. I also think you're abusing the anonymous feature, which only exists in the legal employment forum for employment-related discussion, to discuss something you admit yourself isn't employment-related at all by starting your thread title with "Not employment". I also think the mods should out people who abuse the anonymous feature like you have in order to discourage people from doing it in the future.

Fair enough. I guess the creation of a new username must be in the works.

vanwinkle wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:You think an arrest isn't sensitive information?

If you read the forum rules in the big orange box above, it's a little more specific than that. It says the anonymous feature is only appropriate when revealing sensitive employment related information about a firm, job, clerkship, etc.

Of course I think it's sensitive information. I also think you're abusing the anonymous feature, which only exists in the legal employment forum for employment-related discussion, to discuss something you admit yourself isn't employment-related at all by starting your thread title with "Not employment". I also think the mods should out people who abuse the anonymous feature like you have in order to discourage people from doing it in the future.

^truth.

anyway, OP, you have the answer to your question....maybe it's time to delete the thread.

Wait... why is everyone saying OP has to disclose?

Since when is your law school entitled to all personal information? I was never asked about criminal conduct between application and enrolling. They want to know about your record when making a decision both for their reasons and for C&F reasons... but if you've already been accepted, I have no idea why everyone is clamoring all over themselves for you to disclose.

If you don't, and get convicted and thrown in jail (unlikely) and then it comes up on C&F, they're not going to go ZOUNDS, why did you not GO BACK IN TIME and list this arrest on your law school application!?!?!@2

For the record, I don't think disclosing would do any harm - I just have no idea why everyone thinks you have to.

Anonymous User wrote:So I was recently charged with a 3rd degree misdemeanor for a dumb prank I did at a bar with a friend. We stole a flag from a bar and alledgedly broke a window. Not sure how gently pulling a flag down breaks a window, but whatever.

Anyway, I have a near full scholarship to a law school in the fall. Do I need to tell them or should I?

Note, it is likely the charges will be dropped if I pay for the dumb window. Even if they aren't if I plead guilty, obviously it won't be on my record forever due to my good behavior.

Give me some advice and genearally thoughts.

I don't think you understand how criminal records work.

Anonymous User wrote:Any more thoughts on my scholarship status?

It happened Sunday morning at about 1AM.

When should I call the school? My attorney is advising me to call them after I see if the charges will be dropped so I can say to the school that "The charges will be dropped."

You have an attorney, take their advice and don't ask internet strangers.

CG614 wrote:You have an attorney, take their advice and don't ask internet strangers.

Really only advice you should follow itt. Your attorney likely knows more about this than anyone on tls.