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NY Bar admission
Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 10:26 am
by anshulkalra
Hello Guys,
I recently passed the NY bar (Feb 2016) and currently in the process of completing admission form as well as all affidavits. I have two questions and will appreciate your input:
a) the admission application has one question and was looking for your feedback:
Do you owe any debt for $300 or more, which is past due for over 90 days?
I don't have any debt that is past due 90 days but I have a
student loan instalment that I am always paying before 90 days. Perhaps once or twice I was late in payment but currently I am on top on my payment terms. So I was wondering - should I mention that I have a loan and have failed to pay once or twice on time in the past (perhaps two years ago).
b) If I manage to send my bar application package by the end of July, do you think it is possible to be sworn in this year? Guess what I am trying to understand is are there any fixed dates for swearing in during the year; or it could be anytime as long as all forms are submitted to the 3rd dept.?
Re: NY Bar admission
Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 11:10 am
by thsmthcrmnl
anshulkalra wrote:Hello Guys,
I recently passed the NY bar (Feb 2016) and currently in the process of completing admission form as well as all affidavits. I have two questions and will appreciate your input:
a) the admission application has one question and was looking for your feedback:
Do you owe any debt for $300 or more, which is past due for over 90 days?
I don't have any debt that is past due 90 days but I have a student loan instalment that I am always paying before 90 days. Perhaps once or twice I was late in payment but currently I am on top on my payment terms. So I was wondering - should I mention that I have a loan and have failed to pay once or twice on time in the past (perhaps two years ago).
b) If I manage to send my bar application package by the end of July, do you think it is possible to be sworn in this year? Yes. Guess what I am trying to understand is are there any fixed dates for swearing in during the year; or it could be anytime as long as all forms are submitted to the 3rd dept.?
Re: NY Bar admission
Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 2:59 pm
by Federalist
anshulkalra wrote:
Do you owe any debt for $300 or more, which is past due for over 90 days?
I don't have any debt that is past due 90 days but I have a student loan instalment that I am always paying before 90 days. Perhaps once or twice I was late in payment but currently I am on top on my payment terms. So I was wondering - should I mention that I have a loan and have failed to pay once or twice on time in the past (perhaps two years ago).
I don't believe you'd have to mention it. Nonetheless, remember that the Fitness Committee is evaluating the truthfulness of your answers, so probably, just in case, you should mention it in an attachment.
anshulkalra wrote:
b) If I manage to send my bar application package by the end of July, do you think it is possible to be sworn in this year? Guess what I am trying to understand is are there any fixed dates for swearing in during the year; or it could be anytime as long as all forms are submitted to the 3rd dept.?
The big ceremony takes place in June (and I don't remember the second one) in Albany. NY3rd takes about three weeks to process your documents. So I guess that if you send your file by the end of July you'll have the exact date of the ceremony by the end August. I do believe you can be sworn in this year.
Re: NY Bar admission
Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 2:45 pm
by NM7
anshulkalra wrote:Hello Guys,
I recently passed the NY bar (Feb 2016) and currently in the process of completing admission form as well as all affidavits. I have two questions and will appreciate your input:
a) the admission application has one question and was looking for your feedback:
Do you owe any debt for $300 or more, which is past due for over 90 days?
I don't have any debt that is past due 90 days but I have a student loan instalment that I am always paying before 90 days. Perhaps once or twice I was late in payment but currently I am on top on my payment terms. So I was wondering - should I mention that I have a loan and have failed to pay once or twice on time in the past (perhaps two years ago).
b) If I manage to send my bar application package by the end of July, do you think it is possible to be sworn in this year? Guess what I am trying to understand is are there any fixed dates for swearing in during the year; or it could be anytime as long as all forms are submitted to the 3rd dept.?
Just to add to the other responses: What I know about the 3rd department is that they conduct an interview once every month. You would most likely be admitted that same day after the interview. So, you don't need to be part of a "special ceremony" to be admitted. Good luck - I'm going through the process myself

Re: NY Bar admission
Posted: Fri May 20, 2016 3:36 pm
by reasonable_man
I'm admitted to the NY Bar about 8 years.
Sounds like they've updated the C&F debt questions since my time. It used to be much less specific.
In any event, I would include it. Better safe than sorry and if they run a credit report and your answers don't match the report, you're asking for unnecessary scrutiny. I would include it with a small explanation (don't go crazy), explaining that once or twice, due to financial hardship, it reached 90-days outstanding, but that you quickly rectified it and you've been making your required payments in a timely matter for X years.
I have no knowledge of the 3rd Dept admission process, but in the 2nd Dept, you'd absolutely be able to be admitted in 2016 if you submitted your forms by July. And note that the 2nd Dept has a way bigger backlog than the 3rd.
Good luck and congratulations!