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Does anyone know if bar committees will pull all of your law school applications when they do C&F review? I'm not worried about what's on them or anything, just wondering if I need to go back and look at all them to make sure I've stated everything accurately on my C&F app or if I can just double check the app for the school I went to.

In the states I checked (and I bet in every state), they just look at your application to the school you ultimately attended.

I would be surprised if the other schools you applied to can even track down a copy of your application. They receive thousands every year and, as far as I know, they have no incentive to preserve apps from people who are rejected or choose not to attend.

what'd you lie about?

not OP, but what if i didn't disclose that i got caught shoplifting gum (worth less than a $2) at a store and they called the cops WHEN I WAS 10 or 11 (yes, they called the cops). i truthfully can't really remember, but i had to write an essay or something like that, but i believe its not supposed to be on my record.

Anonymous User wrote:not OP, but what if i didn't disclose that i got caught shoplifting gum (worth less than a $2) at a store and they called the cops WHEN I WAS 10 or 11 (yes, they called the cops). i truthfully can't really remember, but i had to write an essay or something like that, but i believe its not supposed to be on my record.

It depends on what the application asked. If your school only asked you about arrests or convictions then you did not need to disclose (assuming you were not arrested). However, you might need to disclose for C&F depending on state. For ex., some states ask whether you have ever been "questioned" or "investigated" by police, regardless of your age or whether you were arrested. Silly, but you would want to play it safe and disclose if asked (no one will care).

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:not OP, but what if i didn't disclose that i got caught shoplifting gum (worth less than a $2) at a store and they called the cops WHEN I WAS 10 or 11 (yes, they called the cops). i truthfully can't really remember, but i had to write an essay or something like that, but i believe its not supposed to be on my record.

It depends on what the application asked. If your school only asked you about arrests or convictions then you did not need to disclose (assuming you were not arrested). However, you might need to disclose for C&F depending on state. For ex., some states ask whether you have ever been "questioned" or "investigated" by police, regardless of your age or whether you were arrested. Silly, but you would want to play it safe and disclose if asked (no one will care).

No one will care, but you should disclose

JamMasterJ wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:not OP, but what if i didn't disclose that i got caught shoplifting gum (worth less than a $2) at a store and they called the cops WHEN I WAS 10 or 11 (yes, they called the cops). i truthfully can't really remember, but i had to write an essay or something like that, but i believe its not supposed to be on my record.

It depends on what the application asked. If your school only asked you about arrests or convictions then you did not need to disclose (assuming you were not arrested). However, you might need to disclose for C&F depending on state. For ex., some states ask whether you have ever been "questioned" or "investigated" by police, regardless of your age or whether you were arrested. Silly, but you would want to play it safe and disclose if asked (no one will care).

No one will care, but you should disclose

i did not disclose this on my law school app.

when you say i should disclose, are you saying i should disclose to law school now or when C&F comes up?

Anonymous User wrote:

JamMasterJ wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:not OP, but what if i didn't disclose that i got caught shoplifting gum (worth less than a $2) at a store and they called the cops WHEN I WAS 10 or 11 (yes, they called the cops). i truthfully can't really remember, but i had to write an essay or something like that, but i believe its not supposed to be on my record.

It depends on what the application asked. If your school only asked you about arrests or convictions then you did not need to disclose (assuming you were not arrested). However, you might need to disclose for C&F depending on state. For ex., some states ask whether you have ever been "questioned" or "investigated" by police, regardless of your age or whether you were arrested. Silly, but you would want to play it safe and disclose if asked (no one will care).

No one will care, but you should disclose

i did not disclose this on my law school app.

when you say i should disclose, are you saying i should disclose to law school now or when C&F comes up?

I remember vaguely from 1L year that the ethics counselor at the school said it was possible to "amend" you application. I would suggest you talk to your ethics counselor or local bar association ethics line now to figure it out. If your school lets you amend and it is a minor matter, you might get a slap on the wrist. If C&F finds out your school didn't know until it came time to disclose to them, they might view it as a reflection on your willingness to conceal things.

Anonymous User wrote:

JamMasterJ wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:not OP, but what if i didn't disclose that i got caught shoplifting gum (worth less than a $2) at a store and they called the cops WHEN I WAS 10 or 11 (yes, they called the cops). i truthfully can't really remember, but i had to write an essay or something like that, but i believe its not supposed to be on my record.

It depends on what the application asked. If your school only asked you about arrests or convictions then you did not need to disclose (assuming you were not arrested). However, you might need to disclose for C&F depending on state. For ex., some states ask whether you have ever been "questioned" or "investigated" by police, regardless of your age or whether you were arrested. Silly, but you would want to play it safe and disclose if asked (no one will care).

No one will care, but you should disclose

i did not disclose this on my law school app.

when you say i should disclose, are you saying i should disclose to law school now or when C&F comes up?

oh, RC fail, my bad. I would say that it's necessary to do it unless they specifically didn't ask for expunged/minor stuff. I highly doubt you'll get C&F dinged for this, but it is something that you should have put on apps to start with.


ETA: scooped by a more informed answer

They called the cops for a 10 year old and two bucks? Definitely a C&F issue but not on the part of the kid.

There may not actually be a record. The cops have been known to fake it just to scare the kid straight. Nevertheless, I'd disclose it if only because the story is kind of endearing. Ten years old, indeed.

BeautifulSW wrote:They called the cops for a 10 year old and two bucks? Definitely a C&F issue but not on the part of the kid.

There may not actually be a record. The cops have been known to fake it just to scare the kid straight. Nevertheless, I'd disclose it if only because the story is kind of endearing. Ten years old, indeed.

who do i disclose it to? the law school?
as I've mentioned, i did not disclose in my law school app.

Oh, I don't know...I guess you could let your ls know about it. Seems kinda silly, though. Could you contact the cop shop in the place where it happened to see if there really was any record first?

BeautifulSW wrote:Oh, I don't know...I guess you could let your ls know about it. Seems kinda silly, though. Could you contact the cop shop in the place where it happened to see if there really was any record first?

i suppose i can call first, but it happened in another state i have not lived in since 13 years ago.
This is kind of freaking me out.
Even if i don't do anything, could i possibly fail the C&F? i just got an SA, and it would suck to not get the job after graduation b/c i didn't disclose that i stole a $2 gum when i was 10 years old....

omninode wrote:I would be surprised if the other schools you applied to can even track down a copy of your application. They receive thousands every year and, as far as I know, they have no incentive to preserve apps from people who are rejected or choose not to attend.

LSAC has them until your account expires

The pack of gum incident may surface in a C&F investigation. I know of applicants in similiar situations (about the same age & very minor matters) which were revealed by a small town police dept. decades later.

That feeling of paranoia will follow you throughout your legal career. Good reason to become a florist or fortune teller instead.

Look...I can't say that I've ever encountered a C&F issue quite like this one but I find it EXTREMELY hard to believe that it could possibly affect one's bar application, assuming that the applicant's record is otherwise clean. I sure don't imagine the law school would care.

pack of gum guy here.
so any advice on what to do? should i inform my LS now?

Anonymous User wrote:pack of gum guy here.
so any advice on what to do? should i inform my LS now?

yeah.

1. Log onto LSAC
2. Download your LS application
3. Check the character & fitness section
4. If what happened to you even arguably should have caused you to answer "yes" to one of the questions, inform your LS of the mistake.

Anonymous User wrote:Does anyone know if bar committees will pull all of your law school applications when they do C&F review? I'm not worried about what's on them or anything, just wondering if I need to go back and look at all them to make sure I've stated everything accurately on my C&F app or if I can just double check the app for the school I went to.

A side question:

When the C&F committee members review your law school app, do they review the whole package: the form (with your crim. records, bio, etc.), resume, personal statement, transcripts, and the other materials you enclosed in your law school app?

Thanks.

Speaking to a dean of a LS in CA, the dean made it sound like the LS essentially gets asked, "did you know about this C&F event," and the dean answers yes/no... almost making it seem like it would be out of the ordinary for CA C&F to even ask for the LS app in the first place.

JamMasterJ wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:pack of gum guy here.
so any advice on what to do? should i inform my LS now?

yeah.

Look at your law school app on the LSAC website and see if the app in any way could require disclosure. If it does, definitely try to amend your app. Either way, talk to your law school, nothing bad will come from this.

I think in NY you actually have a statutory right to say you never got arrested if the case was dismissed. Not sure how this impacts C+F and LS apps as the LS app is definitely not more authoritative than state statute, and it could be arguable that neither is the C+F application. Whats the worst case, if it comes up you explain to them that you had the right not to disclose it?

I mean the worst case is that you have to write an amendment which your planning to write preemptively, might as well save yourself the work until it comes up? I doubt you would get dinged for that either way.

You can always pay for a detailed background check on yourself to see if it comes up...

Ask your law school. Thats what I did for mine. They a) actually know the answer b) want to help you.