Character and Fitness Reporting
Students must report any new or amended character and fitness disclosures to the Office of Student Affairs and Diversity. Disclosures pertaining to incidents that took place prior to a student’s official matriculation at Louisville Law will be referred to the Office of Admissions and may require review by the Admissions Committee to determine the effect of such disclosures on a student’s admissibility.
In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every US jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
Many jurisdictions, including Kentucky, require a copy of your law school application to accompany your petition for admission to the bar. The questions in this section require the disclosure of information pertinent to your character and fitness to study and practice the law. Failure to answer these questions truthfully and completely could affect your eligibility for admission to the bar.
If you answer “Yes” to any of the questions in this section, you must provide a written explanation each affirmative answer, including relevant dates, final dispositions and other appropriate details. The Admissions Committee may request clarification or additional information if not sufficiently addressed by your initial disclosure, and review of your application will be suspended until you have provided a sufficient response. You must enter your explanation directly in the space provided, not as a separate attachment. Do not provide court documents or other records unless specifically requested by the Admissions Committee.
All applicants to the law school have a continuing obligation to disclose pertinent character and fitness information. If your answer to any of the questions in this section changes from “No” to “Yes” after you have submitted this application, you must immediately contact the Office of Admissions and provide a written explanation for each newly affirmative answer, including relevant dates, final dispositions and other appropriate details.
1. Have you ever been arrested, charged or cited for any criminal offense? This includes felony, misdemeanor and juvenile offenses, even if the record has been sealed or expunged. This does not include speeding parking or other minor traffic violations, unless resulting in probation or revocation of driving privileges.
2. Have you ever been a named party in any civil, family court, administrative or other nonmilitary, noncriminal legal proceeding? Named parties include plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners and respondents.
3. Have you received a less than honorable discharge from any branch of military service, or have you ever been subject to court martial or other military administrative proceeding?
4. Have you ever been terminated for cause, asked to resign or otherwise disciplined by any employer?
5. Have you ever been placed on academic warning or probation, charged with or sanctioned for conduct or honor code violations, suspended, dismissed or otherwise disciplined by any undergraduate or post-undergraduate academic institution?
