Can someone go to law school w/a record?

[tesseract314]

What is the name of your state? IL (incident happened in WI)

An individual has one misdemeanor conviction (u-level, related to picking up a prescription), and pending charge for another misdemeanor (retail theft--<$20). These two things happened within 90 days of one another. The first charge received probation (which was never violated oddly enough, even though the incident happened in the same county), which was transferred to IL and passed with flying colors. The individual had no criminal history before or after these incidents. It is several years later, they have been working for years now at a school as a high-level employee assisting students w/attaining an education, and going to school full time as well, getting a near 4.0 GPA. They work 50+ hours per week and go to school full time. They have truly gotten better (this was all tied in to a VERY deceptive medicine called AMBIEN which was legitimately prescribed and had a STRANGE affect on their behavior at night and in the early morning), and have been a REAL contributing member of society ever since. They are now trying to resolve the pending charge and expunge the conviction (if both were ultimately convictions, they would both be eligible for expungement, as this person was under 21 when both incidents occurred).

The question is, since they are about to graduate and may be getting into one of the best law schools in the country, is it even possible to go? Will they spend 3 years working their butt off only to find that they are not allowed to take the IL bar? Even if the convictions are expunged, I heard that they have to be disclosed to the bar, and it is practically impossible to be allowed to get a license to practice/take the bar if you have a criminal conviction--especially an "ethical" conviction related to a prescription or theft (though what crime isn't an ethical problem?)--even if they are both misdemeanors. Is it worth it? No matter how much promise this person might have, how much better they have gotten and how sorry they are for the whole 4 month period, ther is no point in putting all of the effort in to a $150,000 legal education if they won't even be allowed to practice law, or get a job at a respectable law firm after graduation.

Thanks

[You Are Guilty]

Did it ever occur to this 4.0 GPA genius to contact the law school in question and Bar Association and ask them?

[rmet4nzkx]

Originally Posted by You Are Guilty

Did it ever occur to this 4.0 GPA genius to contact the law school in question and Bar Association and ask them?

I kinda like the Ambiem defense.

[Heather2]

Originally Posted by rmet4nzkx

I kinda like the Ambiem defense.

Ambien is a bad drug. It has made me do things that I wouldn't normally do. They should take it off the market.

[magic55]

No you cant. Exspecially when you have a case still pending.

[HappyHusband]

Originally Posted by magic55

No you cant.

Yes, you can go to law school if you have a record.

[calatty]

Anyone can go to law school. The question is whether you can be admitted to the Illinois Bar. The Bar will have to decide whether you have been rehabilitated. Proving you are will be difficult or impossible since your misconduct is so recent. The Ambien story is lame. Hundreds out thousands of people take Ambien without incurring criminal records.

[seniorjudge]

Originally Posted by calatty

Anyone can go to law school. The question is whether you can be admitted to the Illinois Bar. The Bar will have to decide whether you have been rehabilitated. Proving you are will be difficult or impossible since your misconduct is so recent. The Ambien story is lame. Hundreds out thousands of people take Ambien without incurring criminal records.

I smoked marijuana once.

It made me want to rape and kill and vote Libertarian.

[Shay-Pari'e]

Originally Posted by calatty

Anyone can go to law school. The question is whether you can be admitted to the Illinois Bar. The Bar will have to decide whether you have been rehabilitated. Proving you are will be difficult or impossible since your misconduct is so recent. The Ambien story is lame. Hundreds out thousands of people take Ambien without incurring criminal records.

Actually, Ambien is not a lame story. Concerns are being raised about the safety of Ambien (zolpidem tartrate), the anti-insomnia drug manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis. Reports are surfacing people taking Ambien are experiencing sleepwalking, memory loss / amnesia, binge eating while sleeping, having sex while sleeping, and other disturbing side effects. Some of the most serious side effects involve Ambien users having auto accidents the day after taking Ambien due to daytime sleepiness and the lingering feeling of being drugged. One disturbing report concerned a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston who could not recall advising residents on rounds the morning after taking Ambien.

A guy bought a car on ambien and did not remember it. It effects people in different ways.

[HappyHusband]

Originally Posted by calatty

Anyone can go to law school. The question is whether you can be admitted to the Illinois Bar. The Bar will have to decide whether you have been rehabilitated. Proving you are will be difficult or impossible since your misconduct is so recent. The Ambien story is lame. Hundreds out thousands of people take Ambien without incurring criminal records.

Chances are, if you are such a criminal as to not be admitted to the state bar, you won't get into law school in the first place.

From my own experience, in Texas, when you apply to law school, you must disclose any convictions or judgements against you, and explain why all that misdemeanoring and rambunctiousness is behind you, and won't affect your future practice of the law.
And then, during the first year of law school you must submit to the state bar your intention to practice law, in which you must disclose again all of your previous convictions or judgements.

[HappyHusband]

Originally Posted by Shay-Pari'e

It effects people in different ways.

I agree. It affected me, in that I don't remember ever hearing of any bad stuff about Ambien.
And I don't remember ever taking it.

[Heather2]

Originally Posted by Shay-Pari'e

Actually, Ambien is not a lame story. Concerns are being raised about the safety of Ambien (zolpidem tartrate), the anti-insomnia drug manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis. Reports are surfacing people taking Ambien are experiencing sleepwalking, memory loss / amnesia, binge eating while sleeping, having sex while sleeping, and other disturbing side effects. Some of the most serious side effects involve Ambien users having auto accidents the day after taking Ambien due to daytime sleepiness and the lingering feeling of being drugged. One disturbing report concerned a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston who could not recall advising residents on rounds the morning after taking Ambien.

A guy bought a car on ambien and did not remember it. It effects people in different ways.

Just for the record Shay that is what I had taken when I lost my car. Ambien is bad and should be taken off the market.

[Shay-Pari'e]

Originally Posted by Heather2

Just for the record Shay that is what I had taken when I lost my car. Ambien is bad and should be taken off the market.

It does effect people differently, but all in all, it is usefull for most people.