Top Law Schools

I am filling out a background check form for a position with a prosecutors's office and a question asks for any past criminal convictions. Should I disclose a juvenile violation which has been sealed? I believe even sealed records can be obtained through the FBI. Thanks for the responses.

No, don't list anything.
If they want to go out of their way to check your profile, that's up to them.
The thing is, they can't really confront you about it because the record is legally sealed.
Also, in this situation your honesty is not going to give you a boost in the application process.
They might think you're kind of..... silly... for listing a juvenile record.

^ This is ridiculous. You absolute don't want to appear to be hiding anything during these background checks, especially if it's a government position. FWIW, I work at a place where I had to get a government clearance. I disclosed something about myself that would not have been found in any records that people outside the company said was a sure way to lose my job. Not so. The DOJ appreciated my honesty and I got the clearance.

Just disclose. It's always in your best interest to be totally honest.

InGoodFaith wrote:^ This is ridiculous. You absolute don't want to appear to be hiding anything during these background checks, especially if it's a government position. FWIW, I work at a place where I had to get a government clearance. I disclosed something about myself that would not have been found in any records that people outside the company said was a sure way to lose my job. Not so. The DOJ appreciated my honesty and I got the clearance.

Just disclose. It's always in your best interest to be totally honest.

I'm leaning in this direction - it's a very minor violation and I can't imagine it effecting my candidacy in any significant manner. On the other hand, if they find out that I have a violation which I didn't disclose, that could look considerably worse.

First response is recklessly terrible advice. I worked at a USAO office, and after going through the process, got some inside perspective. If you fail to disclose ANYTHING that they ask for, no matter how minor, that alone is enough to fail the background check in nearly all circumstances. Failure to disclose even possibly relevant information is relevant to your professional integrity as a lawyer, and the government simply doesn't like it. If you are upfront and honest, it actually takes a reasonably serious offense to fail background check.

Anonymous User wrote:No, don't list anything.
If they want to go out of their way to check your profile, that's up to them.
The thing is, they can't really confront you about it because the record is legally sealed.
Also, in this situation your honesty is not going to give you a boost in the application process.
They might think you're kind of..... silly... for listing a juvenile record.

This is terrible advice. No wonder you posted is ananymously.

reasonable_man wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:No, don't list anything.
If they want to go out of their way to check your profile, that's up to them.
The thing is, they can't really confront you about it because the record is legally sealed.
Also, in this situation your honesty is not going to give you a boost in the application process.
They might think you're kind of..... silly... for listing a juvenile record.

This is terrible advice. No wonder you posted is ananymously.

To be fair, trying to keep someone unemployed is really taking trolling to a whole new level. I think the anonymous poster deserves some credit for that, at least.

Renzo wrote:

reasonable_man wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:No, don't list anything.
If they want to go out of their way to check your profile, that's up to them.
The thing is, they can't really confront you about it because the record is legally sealed.
Also, in this situation your honesty is not going to give you a boost in the application process.
They might think you're kind of..... silly... for listing a juvenile record.

This is terrible advice. No wonder you posted is ananymously.

To be fair, trying to keep someone unemployed is really taking trolling to a whole new level. I think the anonymous poster deserves some credit for that, at least.

True ... In fairness, this could land the op in some serious trouble -- possibly even hold up his bar admission... Now that's trolling...