Disciplinary Record & Chances Forum

[concernedaboutlaw]

Edit: Realized I put way to much information in all of this, I figured it was best if I had it all out there for disclosure. Summary at the bottom.

I have a lot to get off my chest and I am right in the middle of LSAT prep, currently using 7sage and Powerscore. I want to do really well on this test and believe it or not, I actually enjoy studying for it. I love learning about logic, and how to manipulate words, its all so fascinating and the prep gives me structure now that I've graduated school.

My time at college was a little bit different than most peoples' experience. For most, the most trouble they get into is a little minor in possession, or noise complaint or some other issues of that nature. Not me. In my very first semester I was found in violation of the University's sexual misconduct policy. I was 18 years old and terrified out of my mind, we had both been sober and we were walking back from class review. We had both been joking around and telling dirty jokes, and I said something along the lines of "ive hooked up with all my friends its only a matter of time lol" she laughed and said "no that's never gonna happen" to which i said "thats what they said too, but then they come up to me at a party and start kissing me, and I say what happened to not hooking up? They would always say dummy I only said that to tease you" and then I follow up with a "so i guess we're flirting now?" and she just laughed. Well we get back to my dorm and we start studying, we were waiting on the other people from our group to get there, and then she tells me that she just got a belly button ring and that her stomach was killing her and I said "oh let me see, what kind did you get?".

This is where the problem happened, she lifted her shirt all the way up showing her bra and took my hand and said that it hurt there and there she showed where it specifically hurt. (I've had a few friends with belly button rings and told her to just ice it and take some advil or something) At this point and I don't know what the hell I was thinking but I associated her pulling her shirt all the way up and moving my hand to touch her belly was an invitation to do more so I moved my hands over her bra and she didnt say anything (what I now know is the freeze response), but i took them off and put them back again under the bra this time and she said stop, so I immediately took them off and apologized. She said it was fine don't worry about it. I felt bad because I could tell she was bothered, but we all still stayed and studied.

A few months later I get a notice from the school's ethical standards board that I need to come in, so I do and they show me this report and I am just in shock that yes everything we said was correct on the form, but it's weird when you see dirty humor from both parties in front of you on paper, you know? I got red in the face and really ashamed and I didn't really look at the rest of the paper and I admitted to whatever she said I did, I did. I was scared that if I tried to protest it or take it to the board that they wouldn't believe me and assume I was lying and would kick me out of school. I just didn't want to be kicked out, but in re-reading the report that she made, she said that I was the one who had lifted her shirt and had touched her first. If I hadn't been so scared of involving my parents and getting kicked out I would have said something.

Now I don't excuse what I did with anything, I should have gotten clear consent so that doesn't excuse what I did, but I wished I had changed the official record. I was told to stay away from that dorm for the rest of the semester, and was on disciplinary probation for a year and a half, they gave me required counseling and the therapist or whatever his title was, after I explained everything, told me that yes he believes it was an honest mistake and we just went over strategies to get consent in a way that wasn't awkward and would go with the mood, and after that I had a 100% certainty in any sexual relationship I had after that and consent became a big part of my life.

The next year I got busted with minor in possession of alcohol, nothing really happened. I didn't really get in trouble, they gave me a little alcohol course that wasn't a huge time requirement and no extension to my disciplinary probation.

My junior year was a doozy. I was at an off-campus party and had way to much to drink (a fifth of evan williams cherry over the course of 5 hours) My friends dropped me off at the wrong apartment and I ended up passing out on a nearby basketball court. I was blackout and the police were called. They attempted to get me up, when I didn't listen to instructions, they tried to arrest me. It took 4 officers to bring me in, lots of pepper spray, lots of body blows, and I spent the night in the drunk tank. The next morning I was brought before the judge who told me what I would need to do to get the record expunged, but the first thing I did when I got out of her chambers was to go to the ethics office and begged my original case worker not to kick me out. She told me that she believed I was a good person who just did the wrong things sometimes.

She extended my probation for the remainder of my time at school, and even if I went to grad school there it would still apply. She sent me to another counselor and they determined based on my drinking habits that it didn't appear as if I had a substance problem, just that I didn't make a very smart choice and had to be more careful in the future. I also had to do a crap ton of community service hours for both the school and the diversion program. My goal was to not drink until my 21st birthday which was seven months after my incident, and to get my hours done before that time (i had about 120).

I managed to do this all way before my own timeline while being involved in student government, having a leadership position in a prominent national service organization, and while working as a volunteer at the alcohol prevention office at my school. I actually liked working in the office so much, and the supervisors enjoyed having me around and appreciated my work ethic even after I stayed when my hours were done that they said they were opening up an internship, and would love it if I applied. They gave me the title of Alcohol and Other Drug intern (believe me the irony is not lost on me), in this position I researched various alcohol and other drug policies at other schools, participated in editing the schools vision for their new alcohol programs, and gave presentations at orientation. Tying into my first charge at school, my school began implementing the various Title IX changes that were sweeping the country and our office was essential to getting programs launched, I found myself on the Sexual Violence Task Force and did a lot of work there, threw myself into student government and got even more responsibility.

I started working on our schools new alcohol education program and my mentor, the head of the ethics office, suggested I teach a class on it. I also gave a speech at a law enforcement summit on the importance of enforcing the underage drinking laws and for officers to be encouraged to give out minor in possessions as a way to stop students from engaging in destructive behaviors. I served on the student judicial board, not only in minor cases of alcohol or drug use, but in major cases involving fraternities, sexual assualts, disorderly conduct, and academic dishonesty. I was selected to be part of two prominent honor organizations on campus and had leadership positions in them, as well as getting into the National History Honors Society for my program. I was recognized at two different ceremonies as a prominent student leader in student affairs and selected to be an emcee, and then was recognized officially at a later ceremony. The Dean of Students, Student Affiars, and VP of Students all sent me communiques commenting on my speeches and my progress, and the message to keep in touch.

My question is with a 3.42 GPA and a 170 LSAT, how much will this disciplinary record affect my chances? Is it even worth it to go through all this effort and apply? I have an addendum for my grades as my one semester I didn't have the proper study measures, couldn't balance time, and didn't have my priorities straight, (after that I took 22 hours for three semesters in a row( I switched majors 3 times [history political science dual degree as a freshman, pre-med & public health/ hospital administration soph, and finally history (yay full circle lol)] got on dean's (3.5 semester) and president's list (4.0 semester) multiple times) never got below a B after that. So I guess with all the improvements and letters of recommendation and all that, do I have a shot at law school, or should I abandon this venture and apply myself somewhere else?

Edit/Summary: None of my charges from the school have been expunged, they stay on my record for 7 years. I got the resisting arrest, minor in possession, and the disorderly conduct expunged by diversion program.

[Gelato1]

Hell yea you got a shot. We all have a shot. I also have to disclose events that I am not keen on (academic misconduct, which I believe is still worse than the summation of your offenses).

High LSAT, work after college for 2-3 years ( I am going to opt for four, since academic misconduct is the most egregious of all academic sins ). You should be fine. Scholarship money is a different beast... what markets are looking to target?