Bar Admissions Blog
Passing Bars
Q. Before getting into AA, I had several DUIs and related offenses which I was too embarrassed to list on my law school application. But I've been sober for four years now. Will my alcoholism hurt me?
A. Now that you are in recovery, your alcoholism and history of alcohol-related offenses probably won't derail your application. But your lack of candor in applying to law school may.
In a profession with a higher incidence of addiction than society at large, there are many addicts among us. Far from disqualifying attorneys who suffer from addiction, those in recovery are often better equipped to assist clients suffering from similar challenges. Working in "12-Step" fellowships that demand rigorous honesty, recovering addicts often adhere to the highest ideals of our profession.
This contrasts sharply with those in active addiction. As any addict will attest, addicts may lie, cheat, steal and cross whatever boundaries are necessary to get their next "fix." Thus, while you weren't fit to practice law when driving while intoxicated, you have every reason to celebrate the track record of recovery you have achieved for the past four years.
But the character transformation you have likely experienced will not excuse the lack of rigorous honesty on your law school application. Bar examiners will compare the disclosures on your bar application with those submitted to your law school. If your responses are inconsistent, you will be asked to explain why you withheld certain information before.
That's why it's critically important that you amend your law school application to include any information that you improperly withheld. Even if you already graduated from law school, members of the character committee may view your failing to correct the record as the maintenance of a lie.
To be sure, your belated disclosure may result in adverse consequences. Depending upon its policies and the inclination of its faculty, the law school might still impose academic discipline for your lack of candor in its admissions process. Naturally, I cannot speak to every school or every situation. But in my experience, most law schools bend over backwards to support their alumni and do not go the route.
Even if you do amend your law school application to disclose all prior offenses, you may still expect to answer questions as to why you concealed them in the first place. If your answers are the least bit evasive, you will only exacerbate the concerns of those vetting you for bar admission. Rather than concoct excuses, be transparent in admitting your misdeeds while expressing the hope that bar examiners will look to your laudible track record thereafter.
Regardless of potential consequences, you have learned in recovery that honesty is not only the best policy, but is the only way to maintain sobriety and peace of mind. If you wish to join a profession that holds integrity to be paramount, it's time to practice it in all of your affairs, including this one.
In your bid for bar admission, there are two people you must consult in confronting these issues: Your sponsor and your lawyer. Your sponsor may help you apply the tools of your recovery program to cope with a very challenging process, while a bar admissions attorney may lend context to previous shortcomings and help you prepare for the tough questions ahead. With the right approach, you may lay these concerns to rest and show bar examiners how you may use your past experiences to help future clients.
