Your answers to these questions are extremely important, not only in determining admission to Cleveland State University College of Law, but also to your eventual application to practice law.
To be permitted to practice law, all applicants to the Bar must pass a character and fitness screening by Bar examining authorities in addition to passing the Bar exam itself. The screening is thorough and is designed to determine whether the applicant's past conduct justifies the trust of clients, courts, other lawyers, and the public. As part of this screening, you will be required to answer a Character and Fitness Questionnaire that asks about past incidents involving the law and other authorities. Any discrepancy between your law school application and the Character and Fitness Questionnaire or any independent examination of your record may result in an extensive investigation and potentially serious consequences both at the law school and at the Bar application stage. Therefore, you are urged to exercise the utmost candor and thoroughness in answering these questions.
Multiple incidents that individually may seem minor can be problematic when viewed cumulatively. Consequently, the Admissions Committee takes all violations of the law seriously and you are encouraged to provide a thorough and thoughtful explanation of anything you disclose. Failure to provide truthful and complete answers may result in revocation of an offer of admission, disciplinary action and/or dismissal by the law school, a charge under the Cleveland State University College of Law Honor Code, and/or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek admission.
If you are unsure whether to answer "Yes" to any question, we strongly recommend answering "Yes" and fully disclosing all incidents. Failure to answer these questions truthfully and with candor may result in the revocation of an offer of admission to CSU College of Law or a charge under the Cleveland State University College of Law Honor Code that may affect your admission to the Bar as much as or more than the act or event itself. If you answer "Yes" to any of the following questions, you must provide a complete explanation of the circumstances (see Attachments section). Include in the explanations(s) the date and year, location, circumstances of the violation, and the fine and/or sanction. Official documentation in lieu of your written explanation of the circumstances is unacceptable.
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Have you ever received a discharge other than honorable from military or other service?
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Probation/Suspension/Warning/Sanction/Dismissal: Have you been placed on probation, warned, suspended, sanctioned, or dismissed by any college or university for any academic or non-academic reason?
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Character and Fitness: Are there any criminal charges pending against you, or have you ever been cited, arrested, charged, or convicted for violation of any law, including traffic offenses? All matters must be reported, even if they were expunged, sealed, deferred, or subject to a diversion program.
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In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. 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.
