How long are application fee waivers from schools themselves valid for? There is a LSAC forum in July 2027, would app fee waivers be given then? Or would it only be once applications are open?
(The rest of this is regarding DV so please TW):
— for the c&f section(s), I will preface that I have never been charged or the defendant or anything like that. However, I was the victim of domestic violence and in the summer of 2015 the state police were called (three times by me) to remove my abuser from the household. I never filed charges (that I remember, it was a very traumatic time), but there was definitely police reports made simply because they were called out. To note, I was about 20 at that time.
Additionally, my abuser was in jail for three days before I was manipulated by our mother (abuser was half brother), to let it go I guess? I don’t think I ever went through the process of filing charges, but he was bailed out and nothing came of it from my end.
Is this something I have to disclose? I’m fine with doing it but I was never charged myself (clearly). I also had a restraining order placed against my half brothers fiancée (at the time), while we were both under 18 and in high school. It expired by now (I’m 31 lol) and we are no contact. Does this need to be disclosed?
5 comments
Hi! It really depends on the school. For example, WashU asks, "Have you ever been a party to any noncriminal legal proceeding, including but not limited to any civil, administrative, family court, or domestic abuse proceeding, or any arbitration?" Based on my school list, the question isn't common, but I'd recommend that you read through the questions carefully to see if you have to disclose or not.
Hi Jordan! I'm deep into the application process currently so I hope I can try to answer some questions!
I went to the NYC LSAC Forum this past month, and typically, your LSAC number will be recorded/scanned into each booth that you meet with (or you will be asked to fill out a quick digital survey form). From there on, the code will usually be automatically applied at checkout when you apply through LSAC. If you sign up for CRS, you may also receive a coupon code directly from the school itself via email! Fee waiver expiration dates vary per school, but I think if you have an expired code on hand, you can probably reach out to admissions and ask for an updated one!
As for C&F, this also depends on each school. Since you were not the one charged, I think you should be fine across the board (C&F is mostly designed to measure your likelihood of success at law school and after, as well as whether you are honest about your record down the road for the bar). Unless these incidents affected your grades/employment significantly (i.e. taking a semester off, or huge drop in GPA), I also don't think you need to disclose it necessarily. But definitely once you are going through the applications yourself, read through each C&F question carefully and literally. Sometimes you might have to report it, while other times you don't have to report it.
Wishing you luck!
@haena Thank you so much! I greatly appreciate this information! Best of luck in your application process !! :)
Fee waivers are good for the admissions cycle in which they're issued. You can't bank them for a future year. Why is that? Because it's often tied to things I'm seeking this year. Like if my school is targeting a 168 LSAT median, I may send a fee waiver to everyone who lives within 100 miles of my school who also has a 168+ LSAT. But next year, maybe my target is a 169. So why give a fee waiver to people with a 168 at that point?
CF - check the questions asked by the schools you're applying to (and you can see everyone's questions here if you click on a school's name). But as other folks have said, the most common question is if you have been accused/arrested/charged with/etc criminal matters. Accusing others of criminal matters won't trigger a CF response for most schools.
Do you have a fee waiver from LSAC or a school? Sorry the question confused me. So pardon me if this info is off the mark. I have a fee waiver from LSAC. It is good for 2 years. It includes the waiving of the schools admission and access to all the extras like forums.
For the C&F, you have no cause for concern. You only need to report arrests, but some schools require traffic citations that are technically criminal be reported like reckless driving or driving while suspended.
That's my two cents! Good luck on the journey!