No applicant shall be certified for admission by the Committee until the applicant demonstrates good moral character and general fitness to practice law. The Committee may, in its discretion, give notice of the application by publication in a newspaper or by posting a public notice. For applicants who apply to take the UBE in this jurisdiction, the Committee shall endeavor to complete its character and fitness inquiry so as to be in a position to recommend for or against a successful bar examinee's admission to the practice of law no later than the time the results of the UBE are available. This time limitation is aspirational only, and may be extended when circumstances so require.

When the Maryland Board of Law Examiners, DC Bar Committee on Admissions, or any character committee questions your character and fitness for bar admission, bar applicants should retain an attorney to assist in disclosing information relevant to character and fitness, to guide them through the bar admissions process, and to represent applicants in character committee hearings and in hearings before the Court of Appeals to determine whether they are fit to practice law. Character and fitness concerns may arise in connection with prior criminal convictions, academic dishonesty and honor code violations, addictions, drunk driving, neglected debts, and a failure to disclose material information on law school applications or on bar applications. If you have a history of misconduct, traffic citations, crimes, arrests and other facts to disclose in response to the character portion of the Maryland Bar Application or the DC Bar's NCBE application, you should strongly consider retaining bar admissions counsel if you want to avoid denial of a law license and get a license to practice law. This is even true for applicants for admission to law schools as these applications ask similar questions about character. A failure to disclose facts material to your admission could result in a denial of bar admission.

410.581.0070

By The Lawyer's Lawyers | Kramer & Connolly and  who are responsible for the content of this informational website.