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So a character and fitness question on one of my apps asked if had ever been charged with a crime, but not to include incidents that have been expunged. I had an underage drinking citation in college, and the disposition was not guilty. I marked 'no' on the question, but disclosed the underage in my addendum because there was a question about disciplinary probation. I guess I confused an expungement with a not guilty verdict at the time, but now I am wondering if I will be screwed for marking 'no' when it comes time to apply to the bar. I've already submitted like 20 amendments to several different schools for messing up various parts of my C&F addendum (incorrect date on underage and forgotten speeding tickets), so I don't want to look like a liar to the state bar (which I'm not...all honest mistakes). But I also don't want to give ZJs for crack on the street corner for not being able pay back a $100K loan since I couldn't sit for the bar. Any suggestions?

"Not guilty" is not guilty. There's no downside to disclosing it, and the potential to look like a liar if you don't fix it. Write a letter that says what you just said here, and you'll be golden.

What's a ZJ?

If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

disclose disclose disclose.

I had multiple minor run ins like yours and it didn't seem to hurt my cycle at all.

Okay, that's what I'm thinking. I already put the incident on my addendum, so it's not like I willfully withheld the info. I'm just worried that the state bar I apply to will view all of these amendments as a red flag (this will be no. 25 - I applied to 15 different schools and had to correct an error on every one of them). Plus, I'm not even planning on attending the school whose application I'd have to amend.

Here's another one - I put down on my addendums that I received a speeding ticket in 2001, but only put down the charge at the time of disposition (the police officer allowed me to plead down to exceeding the speed limit by 5 mph). I didn't put down the speed that I was originally charged with, however, because I didn't retain the ticket and could not even remember the charge. I looked at some C&F apps for different state bars and some of them ask for both: the charge at the time of the offense and the charge at the disposition. Does anyone think it will be a big deal that I didn't put the original charge (i.e. I was going faster than 5 mph over the speed limit)? I don't even think it's on record anywhere. I even tried contacting the county clerk...as well as the police officer that originally pulled me over, but all I could find was the charge at the time of the disposition.

Just explain to the school what you explained here. Honestly, your speeding ticket makes literally 0 difference if you disclose. Even if you forget, from the 50 or so C&F cases I've been reading, board examiners have been recently very lenient, the people that get smacked down are the people that have done something really bad and didn't disclose after being repeatedly given an opportunity to do so.


http://statecasefiles.justia.com/docume ... 7z1294.pdf

Okay, I've sent in my last amendment and I'm pretty much done worrying. I've done my due diligence to disclose everything (I've probably over-disclosed actually...e.g. explaining speeding tickets on apps where it says to exclude minor traffic violations revising addendums on applications for schools I don't plan to attend), and I haven't had anyone rescind an offer of acceptance yet. I'll be the first to admit that I'm overly paranoid, but fear of the street corner ZJ will drive anyone to this point.

Good luck to all!