Question: If someone was charged with domestic violence but then the charges were dismissed, can that person go to law school and become a lawyer?
Answer: When applying to law school, most applications will have the student list any crimes they where charged with or arrested for. This will include listing charges that were later dismissed. There are various factors that law schools will look at when deciding to accept someone; thus, one incident will not be the only factor in determining your acceptance. You should still apply if going to law school is important to you. The application will allow you a chance to explain the incident and list any steps you took to correct the situation. However, please keep in mind they may still take the incident into consideration when evaluating your application. Contact the law school's Admissions Departments for more information on their application. They will be able to provide you more information on the application process. Be sure that your disclosure of the incident is honest and complete. The more honest and open you are in your applications, the better. After law school a student will take the Bar Exam in whichever state they choose to practice in. The student will also have to complete Character and Fitness. This is a process that will also require the person to disclose any crimes that they were charged with in the past. Please refer to the following link to see the Arizona Character Report requirements.
March 29, 2011
Legal Services Corporation