Character and fitness

Every American jurisdiction in which you may practice law after graduation from law school requires each applicant for admission to the bar to meet character and fitness requirements as a condition of eligibility for admission. A character and fitness review will require truthful, accurate, and complete reporting of all requested information related to past conduct that bar examiners may deem relevant to one’s fitness to practice law. In most jurisdictions this includes (but is not limited to):

• all criminal arrests, charges, plea agreements, convictions, or instances of being taken into custody, as a juvenile or adult;

• all traffic violations (including parking citations);

• involvement as a party to civil litigation;

• acts of fraud, dishonesty or lack of candor; educational discipline or misconduct (including honor code proceedings in law school, regardless of the findings of the Honor Council);

• failure to pay financial obligations;

• substance abuse.

Many jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia, require disclosure of all criminal arrests, charges, plea agreements or convictions, as a juvenile or adult, even where the record has been expunged.

As a UDC law student, you have an ongoing duty to amend your law school application with any new information affecting character and fitness for the bar exam. This includes any new incidents occurring while you are in law school or which you failed to report on your application for admission. To make an amendment, please contact Dean Anthony Ervin. If you are unsure of what must be reported or why it is must be reported, please contact Dean Yannick Brookes.

In no way does admission to UDC Law imply or guarantee applicants will be admitted to any particular bar.