All applicants must respond to the following questions. If you answer "yes" to any question in this section, you must attach an addendum with a complete explanation of the event including the nature of the offense, the facts surrounding the event, all relevant dates, disposition and sanctions. Without this information, your application will remain incomplete and ineligible for review and decision.
You have a continuing duty to update the information you provided in response to these questions and must notify the law school of any actions occurring after submission of this application. Failure to adequately disclose or update your application can be sufficient reason for refusal or revocation of admission, expulsion, or a rescinding of the law degree after conferral. In addition, please be on notice that bar jurisdictions will have access to your responses and may compare them to the results of your background check performed during the bar examination application process.
If your record was sealed as a result of the Pennsylvania Clean Slate law, you do not have to disclose it on the Character & Fitness section of the application. However, if you apply to take the Bar Exam, you may be required to give a greater disclosure to the Board of Law Examiners, which may be exempt from the PA Clean Slate law.
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. Admission to Widener University Commonwealth Law School does not guarantee that you will meet the requirements of the state bar to which you seek admission.
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Have you ever received an academic warning, been placed on probation, disciplined, suspended, dismissed, or been subject to any action for misconduct or honor code violation by any college or university or licensing board for any reason or is any such action pending or expected to be brought against you?
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Since the age of 18, have you ever been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any crime by a law enforcement agency, other than a minor traffic violation (i.e., parking or speeding citations) that has not been subsequently expunged? If it has been more than 10 years since you turned 18, then you need only list those convictions or guilty pleas that occurred in the past 10 years.
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If you younger than 28 years of age, between the ages of 14 and 18, were you ever convicted of or pleaded guilty to a crime involving serious bodily injury to another person? If you are 28 or older you should answer "no" to this question since the conviction or guilty plea occurred more than 10 years ago.
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Are there civil or criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you by any law enforcement agency, civil or administrative agency, or any other agency?
