PERSONAL STATEMENT (required)

The purpose of this required personal statement is to give the Admissions Committee additional insight about you and to provide a basis for appraising your writing ability. Please address why you believe you are a good candidate for the study of law and, ultimately, for the practice of law.

We recommend the required personal statement be typewritten, double-spaced and approximately one to three pages in length. This personal statement should be uniquely your own with no assistance in its creation from external sources (including AI) beyond basic proofreading or general critiquing.

This section is optional.

OPTIONAL STATEMENT

In furtherance of the University?s mission to educate you, as a whole person, your spirit and character upon admittance to law school matter a great deal to us. To help us understand more about the whole of who you are, please address any personal or societal challenges that you have encountered in your life, and how you have persevered in spite of those challenges.

We recommend the optional statement be typewritten, double-spaced and approximately one to three pages in length. This optional statement should be uniquely your own with no assistance in its creation from external sources (including AI) beyond basic proofreading or general critiquing.

This section is optional.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION (optional)

You may use this addendum to explain unusual circumstances which may have influenced your academic performance and/or test score. These circumstances may include personal challenges adjusting to the academic rigor of undergraduate studies, or obstacles you may have faced affecting scholastic performance. Please include information on how you responded to these challenges/obstacles.

The optional Supplemental Statement should be uniquely your own with no assistance from others, including AI, in its creation beyond basic proofreading or general critiquing.

This section is optional.

RÉSUMÉ (optional)

You may attach a résumé.

FAILURE TO PROVIDE FULL AND ACCURATE ANSWERS AND COMPLETE DISCLOSURE IN RESPONSE TO THE BELOW QUESTIONS MAY RESULT IN UDSL REVOKING ADMISSION OR IMPOSING OTHER APPROPRIATE SANCTIONS.

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.

Applicants should be aware that all jurisdictions screen applicants on character and fitness issues before admitting them to be licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction. UDSL is under an obligation to provide any information about an applicant's character and fitness to such jurisdictions upon request.

You have a duty to be truthful and accurate, and to reveal the information requested below even if you do not have complete documentation. Please disclose details of the results of any criminal charges. Disclosure is required even if the charges were dismissed, conviction was reversed, a conviction was set aside, a conviction was vacated and even if the conviction was expunged or the record was sealed.

The Admissions Committee reviews applicants based on all information submitted, including character and fitness information. You are under a continuing obligation to notify the Office of Admissions of any changes in your answers throughout the application process and, if admitted, until the first day of class. Once enrolled, you are under a continuing obligation to notify the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs of any changes in your answers to these questions.

1. Have you ever been cited, arrested, charged, or convicted for any violation of any law including as a juvenile, including traffic violations, but excluding parking tickets?

2. Have you ever been subject to a restraining order?

3. Has a professional association or state licensing board ever suspended or revoked a professional license that you held or has such an association or board ever required you to appear at a proceeding where license suspension or revocation was a possible sanction?

4. Have you ever been terminated, suspended, disciplined, or permitted to resign in lieu of termination from any job, or from any board or volunteer position?

5. Have you ever been dropped, suspended, warned, disciplined, placed on scholastic or disciplinary probation, expelled or requested to resign, or allowed to resign in lieu of discipline from any high school, college or university, or requested or advised by any such institution to discontinue your studies therein?

6. Have you ever been the subject of a court martial hearing, dishonorably discharged from military service, received a general discharge or administratively separated from the military service with other than an honorable discharge?

7. Have you ever been charged with fraud?

8. Have you ever defaulted on any debt other than a student loan that was not resolved in bankruptcy?

9. Have you had a debt of $500 or more that has been more than 90 days past due within the past three years that was not resolved in bankruptcy?

10. Have you ever petitioned for bankruptcy?

If you answered YES to any of the Character and Fitness questions, you must electronically submit a detailed explanation of each incident(s) with the following information:

1. Date of incident(s) and your age at the time

2. Parties involved

3. Description of the incident

4. Result (expunged, dismissed, conviction, fine, etc.)

5. Information related to post-sentence events (pardon, etc.)

NOTE:
As you review these questions and consider your past conduct, if you have concerns about character and fitness issues that could arise when you apply to a state board of bar examiners, research that state's bar application and admission requirements. The National Conference of Bar Examiners (www.ncbex.org) provides basic information for each state and may be a place to begin such research. When requested by state bar examiners, the School of Law may be obligated to forward any character/fitness information from your application, including your explanation(s).