42 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

APPENDIX D: CRIMINAL HISTORY INQUIRY MASTER LIST AS OF JAN. 2021

Alabama

University of Alabama

If your conviction has been sealed, expunged, or overturned, you do not have to disclose the

conviction associated with that situation

a. Have you ever been convicted of any felony?

b. Have you ever been convicted of an offense involving physical harm to another person

or animal (whether a felony or not)?

c. Have you ever been convicted of a sexual offense (whether a felony or not)?

d. Have you ever been convicted of stalking or have you ever received a restraining order,

protective order or similar directive to avoid or to limit contact with a group or

individual?

e. Are you currently the subject of pending charges or an indictment for any of the offenses

listed above …?

Faulkner

a. Have you ever as a juvenile or adult been served with a criminal summons, questioned,

arrested, taken into custody, indicted, charged with, tried for, pleaded guilty to or

convicted of, or ever been the subject of an investigation concerning the violation of any

law, regulation or policy, including but not limited to any internal investigation

conducted by an employer or public agency? (Include all traffic tickets/offenses in your

answer, except that you need not list parking tickets/offenses.) No statute, court order or

legal proceeding expunging the information required herein from any record, or

dismissing, vacating or setting aside any arrest, accusation or conviction, or purporting

to authorize any person to deny the existence of such matter shall excuse less than full

disclosure.

b. Have you ever been a party or otherwise involved in ANY legal proceeding, civil or

criminal?

Samford

a. Have you ever been formally accused, cited for, arrested for, charged with or convicted

of violating any law, including traffic violations? (All citations, arrests, charges and

convictions, whether pending or otherwise, must be noted and explained even if the

charges were dismissed, you were acquitted, plead nolo contendere or adjudication was

withheld or a conviction was expunged, dismissed, overturned or vacated.)

Alaska

No ABA Accredited Law Schools in the state of Alaska.

Arizona

University of Arizona

a. Have you ever been charged with, pled guilty or no contest to, and/or convicted of a

misdemeanor or felony (or the equivalent in a military proceeding or juvenile court), or

is any such charge currently pending? Please do not include traffic violations, unless they

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 43

constitute a misdemeanor, felony or involve the use of alcohol or drugs. (If yes, you must

attach an addendum fully explaining

Arizona State

a. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, convicted of, pled guilty, or pled no

contest to a crime other than a minor traffic violation? (A violation that includes the use

of drugs or alcohol is not considered a minor violation.)

b. If you answered "yes" to question #2 above, were any of the instances felonies?

Arkansas

Arkansas, Fayetteville

a. Have you ever been charged with or convicted of any misdemeanor or felony? If yes, you

must submit an attachment giving full details, including dates; the court, if any; reference

to court records, if any; the facts; the disposition of the matter; and if no court records are

available, give the names and addresses of all persons involved, including counsel.

Arkansas, Little Rock

a. Have you ever been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or plead guilty or nolo

contendere for a violation of any law?

b. Have you ever had any form of restraining order issued against you, including those that

never resulted in arrest, criminal charges, or criminal conviction?

California

University of California, Berkeley

a. Have you ever been convicted of any offense, excluding minor traffic and parking

violations, or is any such charge now pending against you?

University of California, Davis

a. Have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor offense (or the equivalent in

juvenile court)? NOTE: Conviction includes a plea of guilty or nolo contendere (no

contest), or a verdict or finding of guilt, regardless of the sentence imposed by the court.

You MUST report all offenses, including those for which the record has been expunged,

and any traffic violations that resulted in a misdemeanor or felony conviction, including

Failure to Appear, Driving without a License, Driving with a Suspend License, and

Reckless Driving (or their equivalent). You do NOT need to include parking or traffic

violations that do not involve the use of intoxicants, or any arrest not resulting in a

conviction, unless the charge is still pending.

b. Are you awaiting final adjudication of any investigation or arrest?

c. Have you ever been granted immunity in lieu of criminal prosecution?

University of California, Hastings

a. Have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, or is any such charge now

pending against you? For purposes of this question, a conviction includes a plea of guilty

44 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

or nolo contendere, or a verdict or finding of guilt, regardless of whether sentence is

imposed by a court. Traffic violations which must be reported under this question include

Failure to Appear, Driving Without a License, Driving with a Suspended License, and

Reckless Driving, as well as all traffic violations that resulted in a misdemeanor or felony

conviction.You need not answer “yes” because of an arrest that did not result in a

conviction as long as the charges are no longer being adjudicated. You need not answer

“yes” for any arrest or conviction that has been sealed, expunged, dismissed, or set aside.

University of California, Irvine

a. Have you ever been convicted of, or is any charge now pending against you, for any

crime other than a traffic violation?

University of California, Los Angeles

a. Are there any misdemeanor, felony, or other criminal charges pending against you?

NOTE: You must promptly inform the Admissions Office in writing if any misdemeanor,

felony, or other criminal charges are brought against you between your submission of

this application and your registration at UCLA School of Law. In addition, should you

enroll at UCLA School of Law, you must promptly inform the Dean of Students in

writing if any misdemeanor, felony, or other criminal charges are brought against you

during your time as a student through graduation.

b. Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony (or the equivalent in a juvenile

court)? This includes sealed convictions and all convictions where you entered a plea of

guilty or nolo contendere. You need not report traffic violations unless conviction for the

violation(s) would constitute a misdemeanor or a felony. NOTE: You must promptly

inform the Admissions Office in writing if any such conviction occurs between your

submission of this application and your registration at UCLA School of Law. In addition,

should you enroll at UCLA School of Law, you must promptly inform the Dean of

Students in writing if any conviction occurs during your time as a student through

graduation.

University of Southern California

a. Have you ever been convicted of the violation of a misdemeanor or felony, or pleaded

guilty or nolo contendere to a violation of a misdemeanor or felony, whether or not the

charges were dismissed, the court entered a judgement of conviction, or the court

imposed a sentence?

b. Are there any charges pending against you?

California Western

a. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been apprehended, cited, arrested, taken

into custody for, charged with, indicted or tried for, or pleaded guilty or no contest (nolo

contendere) to the commission of any felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law,

except for minor traffic violations unrelated to the use of intoxicants, or been the subject

of juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceedings, or is any such action pending

or expected to be brought against you? Answer affirmatively even if the applicable

offense has been dismissed or expunged. 4. Provide a full explanation that specifies the

surrounding circumstances, applicable dates, and the sentencing, if any, be it

incarceration, probation, community service, community control, restitution, fine,

revocation or suspension of driving privileges, or suspension of sentence altogether.

Attach additional documentation ONLY IF your explanation exceeds the character limits

allotted. (maximum characters 5000)

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 45

Chapman University

a. Have you ever been convicted of, or pled guilty to the violation of any law or ordinance,

or the commission of any felony or misdemeanor (including any traffic violations) or is

any such charge now pending against you? (This may include but is not limited to: failure

to appear, driving without a license, reckless driving, etc. If "Yes," for each occurrence

furnish a written electronic attachment providing the complete facts, including the date,

name, and nature of the offense, the name and locality of the court, and the disposition

of the matter. The statement must accompany the application.)

Golden Gate University

a. Have you ever been convicted of the violation of a misdemeanor or felony? As used

herein, a conviction includes a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, or a verdict or finding

of guilt, regardless of whether the sentence is imposed by the court.

b. Are any criminal charges of any kind currently pending against you?

Loyola Marymount University

a. CONVICTIONS: Have you ever been charged, arrested, or convicted of a misdemeanor

or felony (excluding minor traffic violations)? As used herein a conviction includes a

plea of guilty or nolo contendere, or a verdict of finding of guilt, regardless of whether

sentence is imposed by the court. You must disclose this requested information even if

the charges were juvenile convictions, the conviction was stayed or vacated, the record

was sealed or expunged, or you were told you need not disclose this information. You

must also disclose any incident that is awaiting final adjudication. If "yes," for each

occurrence furnish complete facts, including the date, name and nature of the offense, the

name and locality of the court, and the disposition of each such matter in an electronic

statement and enclose it with this application. Please refer to the Disclosures section of

the website.

Pepperdine University

a. Have you been charged, cited, prosecuted, or convicted of any crime for an offense other

than a misdemeanor or minor traffic violation? Include any instance of drunk driving

whether a felony, misdemeanor, or minor traffic violation. You need not report any

arrest, conviction or other proceeding in which the record has been ordered or is required

to be sealed, dismissed, obliterated, or otherwise expunged.

Santa Clara University

a. Have you ever been charged, arrested or convicted of a misdemeanor or felony? As used

herein, a conviction includes a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or a verdict or finding of

guilt, regardless of whether sentence is imposed by the court.This includes any charge,

arrest or conviction that may have been dropped or expunged.

Southwestern University

Full disclosure in response to the below questions is required. During the licensing process for

admission to the Bar, which includes state and federal background checks, you will need to address

similar questions. The Bar will compare your disclosures below with their information and any

inaccuracies or discrepancies may delay or prevent Bar admission.

46 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

If you answer YES to any of the questions below, provide a full explanation in an electronic

attachment to this application (found under Attachments). Full disclosure includes, but is not limited

to, the following: all criminal, disciplinary, academic or other charges (both initial and final),

convictions/rulings, sentencing terms, dates (month/year), and contextual details of the underlying

conduct or incident(s) (including their date(s) and time(s), location(s), factual circumstances, other

parties involved, and if applicable, case name, case number, jurisdiction, and copy of any decision,

decree, judgment, or order issued, etc.). To meet Southwestern’s full disclosure requirement, you

must include all charges, even if they were later dismissed, or were later reduced as part of plea

negotiations, or reduced as part of sentencing terms.

a. Have you ever been, as an adult or juvenile, cited, investigated for, arrested, taken into

custody, charged with, indicted, convicted, tried for, or pleaded guilty to, the commission

of any felony or misdemeanor or violation of any law, except minor parking or traffic

violations, or been the subject of any juvenile delinquency or youthful offender

proceedings or been party to court proceedings involving allegations of child abuse or

neglect? Please note that although a conviction may have been expunged from the records

by an order of the court, it nevertheless must be included in this disclosure. Further,

Southwestern does not consider a traffic offense to be minor if it involves, in any way,

operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol or if the

applicant's conduct was reckless.

b. Are there criminal charges pending against you or are you presently under investigation

by any police department, law enforcement agency, or other government body?

Stanford University

a. Have you ever been convicted of, or is any charge now pending against you for any crime

other than a traffic violation?

University of San Diego

a. Have you ever been charged with a misdemeanor or felony (or the equivalent in a juvenile

court), is any such charge now pending, or are under investigation? In responding to this

question, please include incidents where the charge was originally a misdemeanor or

felony, but may have ultimately been reduced to a lesser charge or dismissed. Include all

incidents, no matter how minor, even if the record has been sealed, obliterated, destroyed,

dismissed or expunged. Please furnish complete facts, including the name and nature of

the offense, the date of the offense, the name and locality of the court, and the disposition

of each event using an electronic attachment.

b. Have you ever been convicted of the violation of a misdemeanor or felony? As used

herein, a conviction includes a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, or a verdict or finding

of guilt, regardless of whether sentence is imposed by the court. Please furnish complete

facts including the name and nature of the offense using an electronic attachment.

University of San Francisco

a. Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony or are any such charges

pending against you? This includes any conviction that may have been expunged as well

as any juvenile adjudication (IF YES, PROVIDE IN AN ELECTRONIC

ATTACHMENT THE NAME OF EACH OFFENSE, THE CIRCUMSTANCES

SURROUNDING THE INCIDENT(S), EXACT DATES OF EACH OFFENSE,

NATURE OF THE OFFENSE AND DISPOSITION OF EACH OFFENSE.)

University of the Pacific

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 47

If you have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor and had the charges subsequently expunged,

you must still disclose the conviction. Disclose all convictions regardless of your age at the time.

a. Have you ever received a citation for, been arrested for, charged with, convicted of, or

pled guilty, no contest, nolo contendere, or otherwise accepted responsibility for a crime,

or have you received a deferred prosecution or prayer for judgment continued, for any

criminal charge other than a minor traffic violation? This would include any charges of

driving under the influence or any other drug or alcohol related offenses.

b. Are there any criminal charges pending against you or are you presently under

investigation for a crime of any kind? (This includes any charges of driving under the

influence or other drug or alcohol related charges.)

Western State University

a. Are there any criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you? NOTE:

You must promptly inform the Admissions Office in writing if any misdemeanor, felony,

or other criminal charges are brought against you between your submission of this

application and your registration at Western State College of Law. In addition, should

you enroll at Western State College of Law, you must promptly inform the Dean of

Students in writing if any misdemeanor, felony, or other criminal charges are brought

against you during your time as a student through graduation.

b. Have you ever been, as an adult or juvenile, cited, arrested, taken into custody, charged

with, indicted, convicted, tried for, or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere (no contest) to a

crime (other than a minor traffic violation), including sealed and/or expunged

convictions?

Colorado

University of Colorado

a. Have you ever been investigated, arrested, cited for, charged with, or convicted of any

alcohol or drug-related offenses? Include any traffic or other violations that involved

alcohol or drugs, as well as any minor in possession or open container charges. Include

all matters that have been dismissed for any reason, subject to a diversion or a deferred

prosecution program, or otherwise set aside. You do not need to disclose any incident

(including a juvenile one) that ended in the sealing or expungement of the incident by a

court. Expungement or sealing of a record is different than a dismissal as it is conducted

by a court and results in a court order.

b. Have you ever been, in the last five years, investigated, arrested, cited for, charged with,

or convicted for any traffic violation? Exclude violations disclosed in the previous

question and any parking tickets.Include all matters that have been dismissed for any

reason, subject to a diversion or a deferred prosecution program, or otherwise set aside.

You do not need to disclose any incident (including a juvenile one) that ended in the

sealing or expungement of the incident by a court. Expungement or sealing of a record is

different than a dismissal as it is conducted by a court and results in a court order.

c. Have you ever been investigated, arrested, cited for, charged with, convicted, imprisoned,

or placed on probation or parole for any offense against the law? Exclude violations

disclosed in the previous two questions. Include all matters that have been dismissed for

any reason, subject to a diversion or a deferred prosecution program, or otherwise set

aside. You do not need to disclose any incident (including a juvenile one) that ended in

the sealing or expungement of the incident by a court. Expungement or sealing of a record

is different than a dismissal as it is conducted by a court and results in a court order.

48 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

Denver University

a. Criminal Offenses Have you ever been arrested, cited for, charged with, convicted of,

imprisoned, or placed on probation or parole for any offense against the law? Do not

include parking or speeding tickets. Include all matters that have been dismissed for any

reason, subject to a diversion or a deferred prosecution program, or otherwise set aside.

You do not need to disclose any incident (including a juvenile one) that ended in the

sealing or expungement of the incident by a court. If "YES", provide (1) a statement

describing what happened in your own words. In addition to the statement (1), described

above, if you were convicted of or pled guilty to any charges (including any deferred

sentences that were ultimately dismissed), also include (2) a copy of the charging

document, complaint, indictment, or citation, (3) the disposition or sentencing order, and

(4) substantiation of successful completion of any sentences. Do not include parking or

speeding tickets.

Connecticut

University of Connecticut

a. Have you ever been arrested, charged and/or convicted of any criminal offense(s) in any

criminal proceeding in any jurisdiction, including a General or Special Court Martial?

This includes matters that may have been expunged or otherwise removed from your

record through completion of court ordered or approved programs. If yes, enclose a copy

of all court and/or police records confirming the disposition of the case, along with an

essay fully explaining the circumstances (see Attachments section). Your file will remain

incomplete until we receive the required documentation.

b. Are any such charges pending? If yes, enclose a copy of all court and/or police records

confirming the disposition of the case, along with an essay fully explaining the

circumstances (see Attachments section). Should any charges be filed against you after

you submit this application but before enrollment at the Law School, you must

immediately report the charges to the Admissions Office in writing. Your file will remain

incomplete until we receive the required documentation.

Quinnipac University

a. Have you ever, as a juvenile or an adult, been arrested; charged with and/or convicted of

any crime, offense or violation (other than minor non-alcohol related traffic violations)

or currently have charges pending against you? Have you ever been the respondent in a

criminal protective order or a family violence temporary restraining order?

Yale University

a. Have you ever been convicted of, or pleaded guilty or no contest to, a felony or

misdemeanor, or are there any criminal charges pending against you?

Delaware

Widener University

a. Have you ever been arrested, taken into custody, or accused formally or informally of a

violation of the law for any offense other than a minor traffic violation? If "yes", you

must submit an electronic attachment to provide a detailed explanation. Your explanation

must include the nature of the offense, the facts surrounding the offense, all relevant

dates, disposition, and sanctions. If currently on probation or parole, you are ineligible

for admission to the law school. You must include any instance of driving under the

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 49

influence and offenses which have been expunged or occurred while a juvenile, including

disorderly person's offenses. Note: You have a continuing duty to update the information

you provide in response to this question. You must notify Delaware Law of any legal

violations occurring after submission of this application.

District of Columbia

American University

a. Please list any current criminal charges pending against you in any jurisdiction as well as

any instance when you have been convicted or found guilty of a criminal charge(s). In

answering these questions, please disclose any relevant pending charges, convictions, or

plea agreements for any felonies, misdemeanors, or other criminal offenses, including

any charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. You do

not need to disclose traffic violations unless they resulted in incarceration, or in actual

criminal charges, convictions, or plea agreements. You also do not need to disclose any

charge or conviction that has been expunged or sealed by order of a court, provided you

have a copy of the order in your possession which you can provide to Washington College

of Law upon request.

Catholic University

a. Have you ever been charged with any traffic or criminal violations or been a party to any

lawsuit? Respond yes, even if the charges are pending, or were dismissed, resulted in a

conviction, a guilty plea, a nolo contendere plea, probation before judgment or a

requirement that conditions be fulfilled as part of a diversion or alternative sentencing

program. If "yes," please explain fully in an attachment or use an electronic attachment

that gives the disposition of the matter(s).

University of District of Columbia

If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you must provide an additional statement

which includes:

the date(s) of the incident(s)

the original charge or citation

the specific nature of the incident

a detailed explanation of the relevant facts/circumstances

how the matter was resolved (including any reduced charges or lesser included offences)

any supporting documentation Simply providing copies of court documents does not satisfy this

requirement. Your answers to these questions are confidential and will only be used for the

determination of your character and fitness to practice law except as required by Bar Examiner

disclosure, a court order, or other legal matters.

NOTE CAREFULLY: The Admission Committee wishes to emphasize to applicants that failure to

disclose an act or event described here can be more serious than the act itself. Many state bar

50 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

associations require a candidate to reveal all criminal or disciplinary charges, even if expunged. If

in doubt, always err on the side of full disclosure. You must disclose all matters requested on this

law school application, even if you have been advised otherwise by anyone else, including legal

counsel. That means that once you disclose matters even when an arrest did not lead to a charge, a

charge was reduced or dismissed, you were acquitted or found guilty, adjudication was withheld,

deferred, or diverted, or a conviction was reversed, set aside, or vacated. Disclose all convictions

regardless of age at the time. Full disclosure means that you avoid answers and supplemental reports

that are vague, superficial, misleading, evasive or only partly true.

a. Have you ever been cited, charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or plead guilty or nolo

contendere to a violation of any law? You must report all violations, even if those

violations have been expunged. Repeated moving violations, unpaid parking tickets, or

driving while intoxicated or impaired are viewed by some jurisdictions as serious

offenses and should be reported here. If you answer yes, please provide a detailed

explanation including dates, what led up to the event(s), outcome, and current perspective

on what happened. Please remember to include supporting documentation.

Georgetown

a. Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense, or is any charge now pending against

you for any crime other than a traffic violation?

George Washington

a. Have you ever been convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to a criminal charge (felony,

misdemeanor, or other), including any charge of operating a motor vehicle under the

influence of alcohol or drugs, but not including minor traffic charges? You need not

disclose any charge or conviction that has been expunged or sealed by order of a court, a

copy of which order you have in your possession.

b. Are there any criminal charges (felony, misdemeanor, or other) pending against you?

Howard

The disclosure requirement means you must disclose matters even when an arrest did not lead to a

charge, a charge was reduced or dismissed, you were acquitted or found not guilty, adjudication was

withheld, deferred, or diverted, or a conviction was reversed, set aside, or vacated. Disclose all

convictions regardless of age at the time. Full disclosure means providing a written statement that

is clear, detailed, and completely true as well as supplemental official organization reports (i.e.,

complete police or administrative documents related to the matter).

Full disclosure consists of a written statement detailing the facts of the situation written to address

the: “WHO” “WHAT” “WHEN” WHERE” “HOW” and “WHY”. Also, it should include all

official documentation from the state or administrative body involved in the matter (i.e., court

records, arrest records, letters from academic institution officials). The submission of supplemental

official organization reports in lieu of a written answer from the applicant is not acceptable. If there

are multiple infractions that may impact criminal liability and academic sanctions, you are required

to provide only one explanation per incident. You are required to disclose even if you have been

advised otherwise by anyone else, including legal counsel. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO

DISCLOSE ANY RECORDS EXPUNGED OR SEALED AS A RESULT OF OFFICIAL COURT

ACTION. Please maintain proof of expungement.

3. Have you EVER (either as an adult or juvenile) been charged or convicted of the violation of a

law for any offense? Include, without limitation, all felonies, misdemeanors, and major traffic

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 51

offenses (e.g., DUI/DWI offenses, repeated speeding offenses [more than 5], etc.). You may NOT

omit offenses that were dropped, dismissed, or reduced. You may omit offenses that were expunged

or sealed by official court action. Even if you perceive a matter to have been minor or to have

happened a long time ago, you MUST disclose this information.

4. Are there any criminal charges currently pending against you? If you answered yes, please add

a statement explaining the offense. Remember to include supporting documentation.

Also, if you answer “yes” to Character and Fitness questions 1 or 2 above, you must provide an

additional statement that includes:

a. the date(s) of the incident,

b. a complete copy of the original charge or citation,

c. a detailed explanation of the relevant facts/circumstances and specific nature of the incident,

d. how the matter was resolved (including any reduced charges or lesser included offenses); pending

matters will require additional information and/or resolution, and

e. any supporting documentation.

Providing copies of court documents alone does not satisfy the disclosure requirement. Your

answers to these questions are confidential and will only be shared externally as required by the

state board of law examiners, a court order, or other legal process.

Florida

Ave Maria University

a. Have you ever been charged with, arrested for, pleaded guilty to, or been convicted of

any crime other than a minor traffic violation? Details on parking tickets may be

excluded but moving violations, including speeding tickets, must be fully disclosed.

Please disclose this information even if the charges were dismissed or you were acquitted,

the conviction was stayed or vacated, the record was sealed or expunged, or if you were

advised not to disclose this information.

b. Are there any criminal charges pending against you?

Barry University

a. Felony Offense(s) Answer the following question "Yes" or "No." If yes, an addendum

addressing the issue must be included. In your entire life, have you ever been arrested,

detained, or restrained, taken into custody, or accused formally or informally of a felony,

whether or not the charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor, other lesser charge or

dismissed? If yes, provide a copy of the final disposition and a complete explanation of

the circumstances leading to the arrest, the subsequent action taken by the authorities,

and the final disposition, including information about the conviction, incarceration,

probation, and restoration of civil rights.

b. Misdemeanor Offense(s). Answer the following question "Yes" or "No." If yes, an

addendum addressing this issue must be included. In your entire life, have you ever been

arrested, detained, or restrained, taken into custody, or accused formally or informally of

52 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

a misdemeanor offense? If yes, provide a complete explanation of the circumstances

leading to the arrest(s), the subsequent action taken by authorities, and the final

disposition, including conviction, incarceration, and probation.

c. Sealed or Expunged Records. Answer the following question "Yes" or "No." In your

entire life, have you ever had any record expunged or sealed by a court or any other

authority or institution? If yes, provide a complete explanation of the underlying

circumstances regarding the record(s) sealed or expunged.

University of Florida

If your records have been expunged pursuant to applicable law, you are not required to answer Yes

to question 3, 4 or 5 with respect to that particular charge. It is your responsibility to know whether

your records have been expunged. You should be aware that a state Board of Bar Examiners

investigation into your fitness to practice law can extend beyond the scope of this question (as well

as questions 1 and 2), and you might be required to disclose expunged records as well as any

convictions or charges that you are required to disclose in answering these questions

a. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of, or pleaded guilty or nolo

contendere to, a crime or traffic violation (other than a traffic violation resulting in a fine

of $200 or less that did not result in revocation or suspension of your driver's license)?

b. Are there any criminal charges pending against you?

c. Are you currently on probation or parole, in a deferred prosecution program, required to

perform community service obligations, or required to pay restitution or a fine in any

criminal matter?

Florida A&M

a. In your entire life, have you been arrested, detained, restrained, taken into custody or

accused, formally or informally, of violating a law or ordinance? Please include all

matters, including juvenile and traffic violations resulting in a fine of $200 or more,

regardless of final disposition (dismissal, acquittal, expungement, sealed or other

resolutions). If you answer "yes", please attach a statement providing detailed

information regarding the nature of the offense and its disposition, including all relevant

material, dates and facts as a Character and Fitness attachment. In addition, official

documents pertaining to the incident(s) are required. Official documents include, but are

not limited to, court documents, copies of the citation, letter of good standing from the

university, letter from the university regarding academic or disciplinary sanctions and the

completion of sanctions, etc. Official documentation must include the final disposition

of the incident to be valid.

Florida Coastal

If your answer to any of the following questions is "yes," you must submit to the Florida Coastal

School of Law a detailed explanation of all incidents and also provide the Florida Coastal School

of Law with copies of all official documents (from the university/college and/or court) explaining

the final disposition of all proceedings.If your records have been expunged or sealed pursuant to

applicable law, you are not required to answer "yes" to question 1 with respect to that particular

charge. It is your responsibility to know whether your records have been expunged or sealed

pursuant to applicable law. You should be aware that a state Board of Bar Examiners' investigation

into your fitness to practice law can extend beyond the scope of this question (as well as questions

2, 3, 4, and 5), and you might be required by a state Board of Bar Examiners to disclose expunged

or sealed records as well as any convictions or charges that you are required to disclose in answering

these questions.

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 53

a. In your entire life, have you ever been arrested, detained, restrained, given notice to

appear, taken into custody, or accused formally or informally of a violation of law or

ordinance? You should disclose each instance even though the charges may have been

dismissed, or you were acquitted, adjudication was withheld, or a conviction was

reversed, set aside, or vacated. Traffic incidents should be disclosed in question 2.

b. In your entire life, have you ever been charged with a violation of a traffic law or

ordinance that resulted in a fine of $200 or more, charged with a traffic violation that

resulted in time spent in jail, or had your driver's license or your driving privileges

revoked or suspended?

c. Are there any charges of violating the law currently pending against you?

Florida International

All official documentation explaining the current or final disposition of the proceedings may be

requested at a later date.

a. Are you currently the subject of any criminal or disciplinary proceedings? You should

disclose each instance, regardless of sanctions or outcomes, here or in the attachment

section.

b. Have you ever been arrested, detained or restrained, taken into custody, or accused

formally or informally of a violation of law or ordinance (whether or not the record has

been sealed or expunged)? You should disclose each instance, regardless of sanctions or

outcomes, here or in the attachment section.

c. Have you been charged with a traffic violation that resulted in a fine of $200 or more or

that resulted in a suspension or revocation of your driver’s license? You should disclose

each instance, regardless of sanctions or outcomes, here or in the attachment section.

d. Have you been arrested, charged, or convicted of driving while intoxicated or under the

influence of drugs? You should disclose each instance, regardless of sanctions or

outcomes, here or in the attachment section.

Florida State

a. Violation of Law Duty to Disclose: Have you ever been arrested, detained or restrained,

given a notice to appear or taken into custody for the violation of a law or ordinance?

You should disclose each instance even though the charges may have been dismissed,

you were acquitted, adjudication was withheld, or a conviction was reversed, set aside,

or vacated. However, if your records were expunged pursuant to applicable law, you are

not required to answer yes to this question. If your answer to this question is YES, please

read the following carefully. You MUST include by electronic attachment to this

application a full statement of relevant facts for each incident. In addition to your written

account of the incident(s), you MUST furnish the College of Law with copies of all

official documents explaining the final disposition of the proceedings. If your answer

changes from a NO to a YES after you have submitted your application, you are obligated

to notify the Admissions Office of the change and include the written statement and

official documentation regarding the incident as part of your application.

b. Violation of Law Duty to Disclose: Have you ever been arrested, detained or restrained,

taken into custody or accused of driving while intoxicated, driving under the influence of

alcohol or drugs, driving with an unlawful blood alcohol level or charged with vehicular

manslaughter or vehicular homicide? You should disclose each instance even though the

charges may have been dismissed, you were acquitted, adjudication was withheld, or a

conviction was reversed, set aside, or vacated. However, if your records were expunged

pursuant to applicable law, you are not required to answer yes to this question.If your

answer to this question is YES, please read the following carefully. You MUST include

54 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

by electronic attachment to this application a full statement of relevant facts for each

incident. In addition to your written account of the incident(s), you MUST furnish the

College of Law with copies of all official documents explaining the final disposition of

the proceedings.If your answer changes from a NO to a YES after you have submitted

your application, you are obligated to notify the Admissions Office of the change and

include the written statement and official documentation regarding the incident as part of

your application.

c. Violation of Law Duty to Disclose: Have you ever been charged with a traffic violation

that resulted in a fine of $200 or more, charged with a traffic violation that resulted in

time spent in jail, or had your driver license or your driving privileges revoked or

suspended? You should disclose each instance even though the charges may have been

dismissed, you were acquitted, adjudication was withheld, or a conviction was reversed,

set aside, or vacated. However, if your records were expunged pursuant to applicable law,

you are not required to answer yes to this question.If your answer to this question is YES,

please read the following carefully. You MUST include by electronic attachment to this

application a full statement of relevant facts for each incident. In addition to your written

account of the incident(s), you MUST furnish the College of Law with copies of all

official documents explaining the final disposition of the proceedings.If your answer

changes from a NO to a YES after you have submitted your application, you are obligated

to notify the Admissions Office of the change and include the written statement and

official documentation regarding the incident as part of your application.

University of Miami

a. In keeping with regulations for admission to the Bar, you are required to answer this

question completely, irrespective of any statute, administrative rule, court order or legal

or administrative proceeding expunging or sealing the information required herein from

any record or purporting to authorize any person to deny the existence of such matters,

and irrespective of any advice from any source, including legal counsel, that such

information need not be disclosed. Incidents that are pending must also be disclosed. You

are required to update your application to the School of Law when the pending matter is

resolved. Have you ever been charged with a crime resulting in conviction, probation,

community service, withhold of adjudication, pre-trial diversion, jail sentence or

revocation/suspension of your driver’s license? This requires disclosure of all traffic

offenses for which the penalty was a fine actually paid of $200 or more.

Nova Southeastern

a. Have you ever been charged with or convicted of a criminal offense, whether a felony,

misdemeanor, or other violation of the law, or had your driver's license suspended or

revoked for any reason? Minor traffic violations and parking violations do not need to

be disclosed. DUI is not considered to be a minor traffic violation and must be disclosed.

If yes, provide a complete statement of the circumstances surrounding each occurrence,

including dates, charges, course of the matter, and locations involved.

St. Thomas

Applicants must provide full disclosure as requested below. Applicants must disclose an incident

under this section even if the charges were dropped, dismissed, referred to a pretrial intervention

program, deferred prosecution, and/or for which the records have been sealed or expunged. St.

Thomas University School of Law may revoke an acceptance if the applicant fails to make full

disclosure.

a. In your entire life, have you ever been arrested, detained, or restrained, taken into custody

or accused formally or informally of a felony whether or not the charge was later reduced

to a misdemeanor or other lesser charge? If you answer yes, for each instance, (a) provide

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 55

a detailed explanation of the circumstances, including the date(s), the charge, the

arresting agency, city and state of the arrest, and the subsequent action taken by the

authorities; (b) explain whether there are any pending charges against you, and whether

you are currently serving or subject to any kind of probation, deferred prosecution

program, or reporting for community service obligations associated with any criminal

matter; and (c) attach a copy of the arresting or charging document, police investigation

reports, and the disposition order.

b. In your entire life, have you ever been arrested, detained, or restrained, taken into

custody, or accused of driving while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol

or drugs, driving with an unlawful blood alcohol level, or charged with vehicular

manslaughter or vehicular homicide? If you answer yes, for each instance, (a) provide a

detailed explanation of the circumstances, including the date(s), the nature of the charge,

case number and court name, and the disposition of the case, including the sentence; (b)

explain whether there are any pending charges against you, and whether you are currently

serving or subject to any kind of probation, deferred prosecution program, or reporting

for community service obligations associated with any criminal matter; and (c) attach a

copy of the arresting or charging document, police investigation reports, and the

disposition order.

c. Other than those incidents disclosed and explained in questions 1 and 2 above, since the

date of your 16th birthday, have you ever been arrested, detained, or restrained, given a

notice to appear, or taken into custody for the violation of a law or ordinance or for

committing a delinquent act? If you answer yes, for each instance, provide: (a) a detailed

explanation of the circumstances, including the date, the nature of the charge, case

number and court name, and the disposition of the case, including the sentence; (b)

explain whether there are any pending charges against you, and whether you are currently

serving or subject to any kind of probation, deferred prosecution program, or reporting

for community service obligations associated with any criminal matter; and (c)attach a

copy of the arresting or charging document and the disposition order.

Stetson

In answering questions on The Florida Bar application, the Board of Bar Examiners states that

applicants are warned that no statute, court order, or legal proceeding withholding adjudication,

expunging the information required herein from any record, sealing the records which contained the

information required herein, or dismissing, vacating or setting aside any arrest, accusation or

conviction, or purporting to authorize any person to deny the existence of such matters shall excuse

less than full disclosure, IRRESPECTIVE OF ANY ADVICE FROM ANY SOURCE

(INCLUDING LEGAL COUNSEL) THAT SUCH INFORMATION NEED NOT BE

DISCLOSED. It is further required that records will have to be unsealed and released to the Board

of Bar Examiners even if sealed or expunged.

a. In question #2, you should disclose each instance even though charges may have been

dismissed, or you were acquitted, or adjudication was withheld, or a conviction was

reversed, set aside, or vacated. If you have any charges pending or active warrants for

your arrest, you are required to answer yes. This question includes periods before you

turned 18. If your records were expunged pursuant to applicable law, you may not be

required to answer yes, but you should carefully read the Character and Fitness

Disclosure below. A Dismissal is not an expungement. You must include any traffic

violations (even those you believe to be minor) if the violation resulted in a jail sentence,

suspension, or revocation of driver's license, or a fine of more than $200.00. Any arrest,

including a written arrest, charge or conviction of driving while intoxicated or under the

influence of drugs or alcohol must be disclosed, regardless of sanctions or outcome. If

you are unsure whether to answer "yes," we strongly recommend answering "yes" and

fully disclosing all incidents. In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness,

56 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

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 see admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are

available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners. If you answer yes, you

must attach or send us your full statement of relevant facts and attach a copy of the final

court documentation (disposition, DMV record) or arrange for a copy to be emailed or

mailed to the Office of Admissions and Student Financial Planning. Have you ever been

arrested, detained, or restrained; taken into custody; or accused formally or informally of

a violation of law or ordinance?

Georgia

Atlanta’s John Marshall

a. Excluding parking violations, have you ever been cited (including the paying of fines,

even as a juvenile), detained, arrested, formally accused, or prosecuted for the violation

of any law? Note: You must disclose each instance even though the charges may have

been dismissed or you were acquitted or allowed to plead nolo contendere or an

adjudication was withheld, or you were pardoned or a conviction was reversed, set a side

or vacated, or the record sealed or expunged and regardless of whether or not you have

been told by anyone, including a judge or a lawyer, you do not need to disclose such an

instance. You must provide documentation of each instance.

Emory University

a. Have you ever been accused of, reprimanded for, detained for, or charged with any

criminal offense or school conduct violation, regardless of the outcome? This includes

any criminal accusations, including traffic offenses, except for parking violations. This

also includes any reprimands or social actions while in college, or any educational setting

since high school (such as noise violations).

b. Please disclose even if any charges were dismissed, or if you were acquitted or allowed

to plead nolo contendere, or if the conviction was reversed, set aside, or vacated, or if the

record was sealed or expunged. You must disclose regardless of whether you have been

told you need not disclose any such instance.

University of Georgia

a. Excluding only parking violations, have you ever been detained, arrested, formally

accused, cited, or prosecuted for the violation of any law? You must disclose each

instance, even if the charges were dismissed; you were acquitted; you pled nolo

contendere; adjudication was withheld; your conviction was reversed, set aside, or

vacated; or the record was sealed or expunged.

Georgia State University

a. EXCLUDING ONLY PARKING VIOLATIONS, have you ever been detained, arrested,

formally accused, cited or prosecuted for the violation of any law (including ALL traffic

citations, such as speeding, reckless driving, running a red light or stop sign, failure to

yield, etc.)? If YES, electronically attach a statement, including at least the following

information for each instance: date, description of the offense(s), and disposition.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You must disclose each instance even if the charges have been

dismissed, or you were acquitted, or allowed to plead nolo contendere, or adjudication

was withheld, or a conviction was reversed, set aside or vacated, or the record sealed or

expunged and regardless of whether you have been told you need not disclose any such

instance. This includes all juvenile charges. Such instances do not necessarily disqualify

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 57

you from admission to law school. All circumstances are carefully considered by the

College of Law Admissions Committee.

Mercer University

In accordance with standard requirements for bar admission, you must disclose each instance even

though the charges may have been dismissed or you were acquitted or allowed to plead nolo

condendere or adjudication was withheld or a conviction was reversed, set aside, or vacated or the

record sealed or expunged regardless of whether you have been told by anyone, including a judge

or a lawyer, that you need not disclose any such instance.

In addition to the character and fitness requirements listed above, any conduct or behavior that could

call into question your ability to practice law in a competent, ethical, and professional manner,

including the inappropriate use of social media, may result in denial or revocation of admission.

a. Have you ever been detained, arrested, formally accused, cited, or prosecuted for the

violation of any law (excluding traffic offenses)?

b. Excluding parking violations, have you ever been cited or charged with any traffic

violation within the last 10 years [including violation(s) to which you were allowed to

enter a "nolo contendere" plea]?

Hawaii

University of Hawaii

a. Have you ever been convicted of a crime (other than a minor traffic violation but

including DUI, DWI, etc.)?

b. Are there criminal charges pending against you or are you presently under investigation?

Idaho

University of Idaho

a. Have you ever been arrested, served a summons, cited, questioned, indicted, taken into

custody, charged, tried, or investigated for a felony, misdemeanor, infraction (including

traffic tickets), or probation violation? (Include all incidents as a juvenile or adult, no

matter how minor the charge, guilty or not, exonerated or not, whether or not sentencing

was withheld, excluding only non-moving traffic violations that resulted in a penalty less

than $25.00. You must include criminal and/or juvenile matters that have been

expunged.)

Illinois

University of Chicago

a. Have you ever been charged with or convicted of any crime or offense other than a minor

traffic violation? This includes any charges, complaints, or citations that were filed

against you as a juvenile or as an adult, formal or informal, pending or closed, dismissed,

expunged, sealed, or subject to a diversionary program, and includes any charges,

complaints, or citations that you reasonably expect to be brought against you. If so, please

provide all material facts and an explanation of the circumstances.

58 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

Chicago-Kent

a. Have you ever been convicted of, pled guilty or nolo contendere to, or received a period

of supervision for, any offense other than a minor traffic or parking violation, or is any

charge now pending against you concerning such an offense? (A "minor traffic violation"

is a violation for which only a citation was issued, e.g., speeding. You must report any

other traffic offense, including any offense in which acting under the influence of a drug

or alcohol was an element of the offense.) You must disclose each instance, regardless of

whether a conviction was reversed, set aside or vacated, or the record sealed or expunged.

If yes, give details on an electronic attachment, including a description of the incident,

the exact charge, and final resolution.

DePaul

a. Have you ever been convicted of a felony or is there now pending against you any

indictment, criminal information or criminal complaint charging a felony offense?

b. Have you been detained, arrested, summoned into court, cited, indicted, adjudicated

guilty or convicted in any criminal, municipal, military or juvenile proceeding? If yes,

you must disclose each instance even though the charges have been dismissed or you

were acquitted or adjudication was withheld or a conviction was reversed, set aside,

vacated or the record sealed or expunged and regardless of whether you have been told

you need not disclose any such instances.

University of Illinois

a. Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense, either as a juvenile or as an adult, or

is there now pending against you any indictment, criminal information, or criminal

complaint? This includes matters that have been expunged or sealed.

UIC John Marshall

a. Have you ever been formally or informally detained, restrained, cited, summoned into

court, taken into custody, arrested, accused, charged, convicted, placed on probation,

placed on supervision, or forfeited collateral in connection with any offense against the

law or an ordinance, or accused of committing a delinquent act, other than a minor traffic

or parking violation? A "minor traffic violation" is a violation for which only a citation

was issued, e.g. speeding less than 25 mph over the limit or other moving violations,

however any traffic violation charged as a misdemeanor, involving felonious conduct or

involving a fine of $350 or more must be reported. Other traffic offenses, including any

in which acting under the influence of a drug or alcohol was an element of the offense,

must be reported. NOTE: Please answer regardless of the final disposition. If your answer

is "Yes," please state the facts fully on a separate attachment and attach a copy of the

arresting officer's report, complaint, indictment, trial disposition, sentencing documents

and appeal documents (see Attachments section). If alcohol or drugs were involved, you

must also attach the order of disposition and documents substantiating successful

completion of any sentence or condition imposed. You must disclose each instance even

if charges were not formally brought against you, were dismissed, you were acquitted,

adjudication was withheld, or your conviction was reversed, set aside or vacated. You

must disclose these instances regardless of whether you have been told that you need not

disclose any such instance, your case was expunged or sealed, or the instance is in any

other way subject to non-disclosure. You may be requested to provide additional

information if you are accepted.

Loyola University, Chicago

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 59

a. Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense or accepted/admitted responsibility

(such as by paying a fine) for a criminal citation other than a minor traffic violation (fine

$200 or less)? You are not required to disclose arrests that did not result in a criminal

charge or citation, or criminal charges or citations (or juvenile adjudications) that have

been dismissed, expunged or sealed. You must disclose any criminal charges or citations

that are pending against you at the time of this application.

Northern Illinois

a. Have you ever, including when you were a juvenile, been formally or informally

detained, restrained, cited (including traffic citations in the last ten years but not parking

tickets), summoned into court, taken into custody, arrested, accused, charged, convicted,

placed on probation, placed on supervision, or forfeited collateral in connection with any

offense against a law or an ordinance (including any sealed or expunged incidents)?

Northwestern University

a. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been cited, arrested, taken into custody,

charged with, indicted, convicted or tried for, or pleaded guilty to, the commission of any

felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law, except minor parking or traffic

violations, or been the subject of any juvenile delinquency or youthful offender

proceeding? (If yes, explain on a separate sheet or electronic attachment.) Please note

that although a matter may have been expunged from the records by an order of a court,

it nevertheless should be disclosed in the answer to this question. Also, you should have

available and be prepared to submit or exhibit copies of police and court records

regarding any matter you disclose in reply to this question.

Southern Illinois

NOTE: Full disclosure is required for any charges against you, including those that have been

dismissed, and those for which you were acquitted, adjudication was withheld or deferred, a

conviction was reversed, set aside, or vacated, any records were sealed or expunged, you received

court supervision, or you pled guilty or nolo contendere to the charge, and regardless of whether

you have been previously told that you do not need to disclose any such instance.

a. Have you ever been charged or convicted of any crime or offense, including

misdemeanors and felonies, or is there now pending against you any indictment, criminal

information, or criminal complaint charging a felony or misdemeanor offense, excluding

minor traffic offenses? This includes offenses that have been expunged from your record

or instances in which the records have been sealed. It includes offenses for which you

were charged or convicted when you were a juvenile or adult. Your duty to disclose all

offenses for which you have been charged or convicted exists irrespective of any legal

advice you receive suggesting you are not required to disclose the offense.

Indiana

Indiana University, Bloomington

IF YOU ANSWER YES TO ANY OF THE CHARACTER AND FITNESS QUESTIONS, you

must attach a statement of explanation for each question you answered yes to, giving full details,

60 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

including the facts and the disposition of the case. You must divulge all arrests, citations, tickets,

and charges either as an adult or juvenile, regardless of the final disposition. This explanation must

also include details of incidents that have been expunged from your record. You must disclose all

incidents where you were formally or informally taken into custody, detained, arrested, restrained,

cited, summoned into court, accused, charged, convicted, placed on probation, or supervision in

connection with any offense against the law or ordinance.

a. As a juvenile or adult, have you ever been arrested for, convicted of or accused of any

violation of law that have not been expunged or sealed by a court? Include ALL criminal

offenses, e.g., felonies, misdemeanors, infractions, speeding tickets and other traffic

offenses, regardless of the final disposition. You must disclose all incidents where you

were formally or informally taken into custody, detained, restrained, cited, summoned

into court, arrested, accused, charged, convicted, placed on probation or suspension in

connection with any offence against the law or ordinance.

Pursuant to Indiana Code §35-38-9, you are under no obligation to disclose expunged

offenses to the law school as part of your application for admission. However, you are

strongly encouraged to do so. Many state bars, including Indiana, require disclosure of

expunged and/or sealed records for assessing character and fitness for admission to the

bar. As such, admission to law school and completion of JD requirements does not

guarantee that you will be able to sit for or be admitted to the Indiana bar (or another

state's bar). Please note that expungement and dismissal are distinct and all offenses that

have been dismissed must be disclosed.

Indiana University, Indianapolis

IF YOU ANSWER YES TO ANY OF THE CHARACTER AND FITNESS QUESTIONS, you

must attach a statement of explanation for each question you answered yes to, giving full details,

including the facts and the disposition of the case. You must divulge all arrests, citations, tickets,

and charges either as an adult or juvenile, regardless of the final disposition. This explanation must

also include details of incidents that have been expunged from your record. You must disclose all

incidents where you were formally or informally taken into custody, detained, arrested, restrained,

cited, summoned into court, accused, charged, convicted, placed on probation, or supervision in

connection with any offense against the law or ordinance.

a. As a juvenile or adult, have you ever been arrested for, convicted of or accused of any

violation of law that have not been expunged or sealed by a court? Include ALL criminal

offenses, e.g., felonies, misdemeanors, infractions, speeding tickets and other traffic

offenses, regardless of the final disposition. You must disclose all incidents where you

were formally or informally taken into custody, detained, restrained, cited, summoned

into court, arrested, accused, charged, convicted, placed on probation or suspension in

connection with any offence against the law or ordinance.

Pursuant to Indiana Code §35-38-9, you are under no obligation to disclose expunged

offenses to the law school as part of your application for admission. However, you are

strongly encouraged to do so. Many state bars, including Indiana, require disclosure of

expunged and/or sealed records for assessing character and fitness for admission to the

bar. As such, admission to law school and completion of JD requirements does not

guarantee that you will be able to sit for or be admitted to the Indiana bar (or another

state's bar). Please note that expungement and dismissal are distinct and all offenses that

have been dismissed must be disclosed.

Notre Dame University

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 61

a. Have you ever been arrested, charged with, or convicted of a misdemeanor, felony, or

other crime? This includes charges that are pending, or to which you have plead "guilty"

or "no contest."

Iowa

Drake University

a. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any violation of criminal,

administrative, or military law (including any deferred, expunged, or sealed judgments)?

This question includes, but is not limited to, all alcohol-related incidents. However, the

question is not meant to include minor traffic violations.

b. Are there any criminal charges pending against you?

University of Iowa

a. Have you ever (either as an adult or juvenile) been cited or arrested for, charged with, or

convicted of any violation of the law? (You must disclose each instance, even if you were

granted any type of pretrial diversion, even if filed charges were dismissed; even if such

charges resulted in a deferred adjudication; even if you were acquitted of such charges;

or even if such charges resulted in a conviction that was reversed, set aside, vacated, or

expunged. You need not, however, disclose speeding or parking violations.)

Kansas

University of Kansas

a. Have you ever had a protective or restraining order entered against you?

b. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of a felony, misdemeanor or

infraction other than a traffic violation (include diversions, sealed or expunged records,

and juvenile offenses)?

c. Have you ever had your driver's license suspended or revoked, or have you ever been

arrested for, charged with, or convicted of a traffic violation involving alcohol or a

controlled substance? (include diversions, sealed or expunged records, and juvenile

offenses)

d. Have you ever been a party to bankruptcy proceedings, had a tax lien filed against you,

or been a party to any other civil or criminal proceeding related to unpaid financial

obligations?

Washburn University

a. Despite whether the record has been expunged, have you ever been summoned charged,

arrested, taken into custody, or indicted for driving under the influence of alcohol or any

other controlled substance?

b. Despite whether the record has been expunged, other than listed above, have you ever

been issued a citation, notice to appear or summons, charged, arrested, taken into custody,

or indicted for any felony, misdemeanor, or infraction of the law excluding minor traffic

infractions?

Kentucky

University of Kentucky

62 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

a. Have you ever been arrested, charged with, or convicted of any crime, including juvenile

offenses or any offense or crime that resulted in expunged records (including, but not

limited to, driving while intoxicated or impaired, traffic violations, moving violations, or

parking violations)? If so, give dates and full details in an attachment (see Attachments

section)

b. Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any military offense,

including any offense that resulted in expunged records (including, but not limited to,

driving while intoxicated or impaired, traffic violations, moving violations, or parking

violations)? If so, give dates and full details in an attachment (See Attachments section).

Louisville University

a. 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.

Northern Kentucky University

a. Have you ever been arrested, charged with, or convicted of any crime, or military

offense? (This includes felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile offenses, major traffic

violations such as driving while intoxicated or impaired, or repeated moving violations.

Matters that have been expunged, sealed, or subject to a diversion program must still be

disclosed.)

b. Have you ever been a party to or otherwise involved in an incident that resulted in charges

or allegations that you committed abuse, neglect or violence against another?

c. Have you ever been charged with fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, forgery or other act of

dishonesty in any civil, criminal, administrative, or other proceeding?

Louisiana

Louisiana State University

IF YOUR ANSWER TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS IS YES, PLEASE ATTACH A FULL

STATEMENT OF RELEVANT FACTS FOR ALL INCIDENTS AND FURNISH THE LAW

CENTER WITH COPIES OF ALL OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS REFERENCING THE CURRENT

STATUS OR FINAL DISPOSITION OF ALL PROCEEDINGS. FAILURE TO SUBMIT

RELEVANT DOCUMENTATION MAY RESULT IN A DELAY IN RECEIVING AN

ADMISSIONS DECISION.

a. Have you ever been charged with and/or convicted of stalking, cyberstalking, rape, or

sexual battery? (You are required to report all incidents, regardless of how minor (except

for traffic and/or parking violations, provided they are few in number); regardless of

whether you were a juvenile or an adult at the time of incident; regardless of whether the

case against you was dismissed or was otherwise disposed of in some manner other than

by a conviction (e.g., by your participation in a “diversion” program); regardless of

whether the record of the incident was sealed, expunged, or otherwise removed from the

public records; and regardless of whether you were advised that you are not required to

disclose the incident. If you are not sure about the nature or the disposition of a particular

charge, you must make a diligent effort to discover it and, having done that, report the

results of your effort.)

b. Are there any criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you? (You must

report all charges, regardless of how minor; regardless of whether you were a juvenile or

an adult at the time of the incident that gave rise to the charges; and regardless of whether

you were advised that you would not be required to disclose the incident.)

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 63

Loyola University, New Orleans

a. Have you ever been arrested, cited, charged, indicted, ticketed, and/or convicted of any

violation of the law other than a minor traffic violation? Have you ever been discharged

from the military less than honorably? Is there any action currently pending adjudication?

You are also required to disclose offenses which have been expunged, purged, sealed,

obliterated, dismissed, or when the records have been destroyed, regardless of whether

you have been told that you need not disclose any such event. This information will also

be required to be disclosed by state bar authorities in many states along with a copy of

your application to law school. If your answer is yes, please electronically attach a full

explanation of the reasons for and circumstances surrounding the incident(s), including

the dates, disposition of all of the charges, and your current view on these past incidents.

b. Were you involved in any disciplinary or criminal incidents involving alcohol or illegal

substances? Several states, including Louisiana, have Lawyers Assistance Programs

through their state bar offices that may institute a recovery contract based on character

and fitness reports and disclosures. In a written statement, please provide the full

explanation and include what steps have been taken to avoid further incidents involving

alcohol or illegal substance.

Southern University

A university, in Louisiana, may inquire on an initial application form about a prospective student's

criminal conviction history relative to any conviction for the following crimes enumerated in

Louisiana Revised Statutes: 14:40.2 (stalking), 40.3 (cyberstalking), 41 (rape), 42 (aggravated

rape), 42.1 (forcible rape), 43 (simple rape), 43.1 (sexual battery), and 43.2 (second degree sexual

battery) or an offense under the laws of another state or under any military, territorial, foreign, tribal,

or federal law that is equivalent to any of these offenses. If a university elects to deny admission

based on any such conviction, it shall notify the person, who may appeal the decision to the entity

that considers the university's disciplinary matters.

a. Have you ever been convicted of any of the offenses as stated above? If yes, please attach

a separate sheet with an explanation and certified copies of court documentation. NOTE:

Your responses to question 4 must include matters that have been dismissed, expunged,

subject to a diversion or deferred prosecution program, or otherwise set aside.

b. Are there any criminal charges for the crimes listed in question 4 pending against you?

If yes, please attach a separate sheet with an explanation.

Tulane University

The Tulane Law School Admission Committee requires complete disclosure regarding any violation

or alleged violation of law (including traffic offenses) and regarding any university disciplinary

actions, including a fully descriptive narrative of the event or events. In some cases, committee

members may request additional information and/or supporting documentation.

a. Have you ever been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, pled guilty or nolo

contendere for a violation of any law? For purposes of questions 4 and 5, you should

include offenses that resulted in purged, sealed, obliterated, dismissed, or destroyed

records, regardless of whether you have been told that you need not disclose any such

event, including traffic offenses. These will also be requested by state bar authorities in

many states. If you are not sure about the nature or the ultimate disposition of a particular

charge, you are advised to make full disclosure, as a subsequent finding that you failed

to disclose relevant information could have disqualifying consequences. If your answer

to either question concerning violations of the law is yes, please electronically attach a

64 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

statement marked "Character/Fitness: Legal" with a full explanation of the reasons for,

and circumstances surrounding, your arrest or conviction, or any pending charges. Be

sure to provide the dates of the events you are disclosing along with a full description of

what took place.

Maine

University of Maine

If you answer "Yes" to ANY of the following questions, you MUST provide a full and complete

explanation in an attachment, clearly answering the question, including the ultimate disposition.

Your file will remain incomplete if this addendum is not attached. If you have any past or pending

criminal charges, you must provide all court documents and police reports.

a. Have you ever had a complaint filed against you in any civil, criminal, or administrative

forum alleging fraud, dishonesty, deceit, misrepresentation, forgery, or legal

malpractice?

b. Have you ever been cited for, charged with, arrested for, or convicted of any alcohol or

drug-related traffic violation, other than a violation that was resolved in juvenile court?

c. Have you been cited for, arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any moving traffic

violation during the past ten years? (Omit parking violations.)

d. Has your driver's license in any state ever been suspended or revoked?

e. Have you ever, as an adult, been cited for, arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any

violation of any law (except traffic violations)? Note: This answer should include matters

that have been expunged or subject to diversionary action. This answer should not include

any violations that were resolved in juvenile court.

f. Are there criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you?

Maryland

University of Baltimore

a. Have you ever been charged with a crime, other than a minor traffic violation, for which

the charges have not been expunged? (In Maryland, expungement is not automatic. It

requires the filing of a petition with the Court. A result of a Probation Before Judgment

in a Maryland Court must be reported unless the charge was expunged.) If yes, explain

fully on a separate sheet or electronic attachment, specifying the nature of the offense(s),

date the offense(s) occurred, name and locality of the court(s), and the sentence(s)

imposed.

b. If yes, are there any judgments against you that are pending or have been satisfied? If

yes, explain fully on a separate sheet or electronic attachment.

University of Maryland

For any affirmative answer, please electronically attach a statement marked “Character and Fitness.”

Your answer should include the date and location (city, town and state) of each incident, a

description of the incident, and a full explanation of the circumstances surrounding – and the

resolution of – each event. The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law reserves

the right to request additional information from you, including further explanation concerning the

incidents in question, court records, documents, or any other relevant information.

For purposes of the next two questions, you should include offenses that resulted in purged, sealed,

obliterated, dismissed, expunged, or destroyed records, regardless of whether you have been told

that you need not disclose any such event. This includes traffic offenses of all kinds, with the

exception of the occasional parking ticket. This information will also be requested by state bar

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 65

authorities in many states. If you are not sure about the nature or the ultimate disposition of a

particular charge, you are advised to make full disclosure, as a subsequent finding that you failed to

disclose relevant information could have disqualifying consequences. The failure to disclose an act

or event is often more significant, and can lead to more serious consequences, than the act of event

itself. Failure to provide truthful answers, or failure to inform the Office of Admissions of any

changes to your answers, may result in revocation of admission or disciplinary action by the Law

School, or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek admission to the bar.

a. Have you ever been arrested or charged, formally or informally, and without regard to

the result, with a violation of any law? (If yes, please attach an explanation of the

circumstances, including relevant details.)

b. Are any charges pending or expected to be brought against you for the violation of any

law? (If yes, please attach an explanation of the circumstances, including relevant

details.)

Massachusetts

Boston College

a. Have you ever been convicted of a felony (or its equivalent in the applicable jurisdiction)

that has not been vacated?*

b. Within the past five years, have you been convicted of, or released from incarceration

for, a misdemeanor (or its equivalent in the applicable jurisdiction), other than for a first

offense for drunkenness, simple assault, speeding, a minor traffic violation, affray, or

disturbance of the peace?* An applicant with a sealed record on file with the

commissioner of probation may answer "no record" with respect to an inquiry herein

relative to conviction

Boston University

If the answer to any of the following questions is yes, please provide a detailed explanation,

including a summary of the allegations and any sentence imposed. The Admissions Committee may

require copies of court documents in addition to your explanation. NOTE: Bar examiners may

require other information that we are not permitted to seek under Massachusetts statutes

a. Have you ever been convicted, without such conviction being vacated, of a misdemeanor

for which the sentence was imprisonment?

b. Have you ever been convicted, without such conviction being vacated, of a felony?

c. Have you been convicted of any misdemeanor within the past five years?*

Harvard University

a. Have you ever been convicted of, or pled guilty or no contest to, any felony or

misdemeanor, other than: • an arrest or other detention that did not result in a conviction,

or in which a conviction was vacated; • a first conviction for any of the following

misdemeanors: drunkenness, simple assault, speeding, minor traffic violations, affray or

disturbance of the peace; or • any misdemeanor conviction that occurred more than five

years before your application for admission, unless you were also sentenced to

imprisonment, or were convicted of any additional offense within the five year period.

Note that you are not required to answer “yes” to this question, or provide an explanation,

if the criminal adjudication or conviction has been expunged, sealed, annulled, pardoned,

destroyed, erased, impounded, or otherwise ordered by a court to be kept confidential.

66 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

University of Massachusetts

a. Have you ever been convicted of a felony?

b. Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor for which you were sentenced to

incarceration?

c. Have you been convicted within the past five years of a misdemeanor for which you were

not subject to incarceration? You will be required to reveal if you have been charged with

or been the subject of any investigation for a felony or misdemeanor other than a minor

traffic charge to state bar examining agencies as part of the application process for taking

the bar exam. The University of Massachusetts School of Law cannot guarantee that

successful completion of the law degree program will permit you to be admitted to the

bar in any jurisdiction. Before applying for admission to law school, you are advised to

contact the Bar Examiners of the jurisdiction(s) in which you intend to practice to

determine if a prior conviction or other character and finess issue will affect bar

admission.

New England University

a. Have you ever been a) convicted of a felony for which the conviction has not been

vacated or expunged or b) convicted of a misdemeanor for which you were sentenced to

imprisonment and for which the conviction has not been vacated or expunged or c)

convicted of a misdemeanor within the past five years, for which the conviction has not

been vacated or expunged, excluding however a first conviction for drunkenness, simple

assault, speeding, minor traffic violations, affray, or disturbance of the peace? Note:

Some states' bars require disclosure of much fuller information relating to criminal

proceedings, including information that was subsequently expunged or sealed. If yes,

submit an attachment describing the nature of the conviction, the circumstances involved,

the sentence imposed, and the court in which the case was heard.

Northeastern University

a. Have you ever been convicted of, pled guilty or no contest to, any felony or is any felony

charge currently pending against you?

b. Within the past five years, have you been convicted of, or released from incarceration

for, a misdemeanor (or its equivalent in the applicable jurisdiction), other than for a first

offense for drunkenness, simple assault, speeding, minor traffic violations, affray, or

disturbance of the peace?

c. Have you ever been the subject of any charges, complaints or grievances (formal or

informal), alleging that you engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, including any

now pending?

Suffolk University

a. Excluding offenses committed as a juvenile, have you ever been: arrested, charged, or

been the subject of any investigation for a felony or misdemeanor or other criminal charge

other than a minor traffic charge? If yes, state the dates, courts, details and results in an

electronic attachment.

Western New England

a. Have you ever been convicted of a felony? (Without the conviction later being vacated

or sealed.)

b. Other than a first conviction for drunkenness, simple assault, speeding, minor traffic

violations, affray, or disturbance of the peace, have you been convicted of a misdemeanor

within the five years preceding the date of this application, or been convicted of a

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 67

misdemeanor, at any time, where a sentence of imprisonment was imposed? (Without the

conviction later being vacated or sealed.)

Michigan

Detroit Mercy University

For the purposes of answering the questions below, your entire criminal history is relevant,

including matters in which courts have labeled "non-public." Applicants who respond "yes" to

questions 4-11, must submit complete explanations of each incident that include the specific dates,

causes, circumstances, and outcome of the incident as well as register of action and court records.

If a register of action or court record is not accessible, please attach an additional statement

explaining why the document was not provided and who was contacted in attempt to obtain the

document. The Detroit Mercy Law Admissions Committee will not review an application for

admission until it receives supporting statements and documentation.

a. Are there any criminal charges against you which are currently pending?

b. Are there any criminal charges against you for which you are currently on supervised or

unsupervised probation?

c. Are there any criminal charges against you in which sentencing has been delayed or not

disposed of?

d. Are there any criminal charges against you in which a pretrial diversion program has not

been completed?

e. Are there any criminal charges against you in which there is any other nonfinal status?

f. Have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor offense? Include any

conviction resulting from an appearance in court in which a judge or jury made a finding

of guilt, or in which a guilty plea or nolo contendere plea was accepted by the court.

Exclude driving convictions that do not require a court appearance, and which are or

would be presently treated as civil infractions under the provision of the Michigan Motor

Vehicle Code, or under similar provisions in other states. Disclose all convictions

stemming from originally charged driving offenses that retain criminal status, such as all

alcohol or drug-related offenses and reckless or felonious driving, or convictions for

driving while privileges are suspended or revoked.

g. Have you ever entered a guilty plea or a no contest plea to a criminal offense which was

taken under advisement, taken in connection with a pretrial diversion program, or

otherwise did not result in a conviction?

h. Have you ever had a criminal record expunged or set aside?

University of Michigan

a. Have you ever been convicted of a crime (following a jury or bench trial, a guilty plea,

or a nolo contendere plea), or charged with a criminal offense that was later dismissed as

a result of a plea bargain or alternative sentencing arrangement, or are such criminal

charges pending or expected to be brought against you? Include misdemeanors and

criminal infractions, as well as any interaction with a law enforcement agency that

resulted in payment of a fine or order of community service. Do not include minor traffic

violations or civil infractions or citations for which jail time was not a potential penalty

Michigan State University

If you answer yes to any question in this section, you must submit an addendum. Label this statement

as "Character and Fitness Addendum" and include your name and the date the account was written.

68 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

The Character and Fitness Addendum should include the date, location (city/state), a brief

description of all incidents, and a full account of the outcome including, if applicable, the location

of the court with jurisdiction over the matter. Official final disposition documentation or any

corresponding police reports for each incident are helpful, and in some cases required by the

Admissions Committee.

a. Have you ever been cited, arrested, taken into custody for, indicted for, charged with,

convicted of, or pled guilty to violation of any law or been the subject of a juvenile

delinquency or youthful offender proceeding? (MSU Law requires disclosure of all traffic

violations excluding parking violations, although repeated parking violations should be

included if they resulted in misdemeanor charges. The entry of an expungement or any

order sealing or purporting to authorize any person to deny the existence of such matters

does not relieve you of the duty to disclose the matter in this application).

Wayne University

a. Have you ever been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, pled guilty or nolo

contendere for a violation of any law and/or are there any charges pending or expected

to be brought against you? (For purposes of this question, a conviction includes a verdict

or finding of guilt, regardless of whether sentence is imposed by the court.) You should

also disclose offenses that resulted in purged, sealed, obliterated, dismissed, or destroyed

records, regardless of whether you have been told that you need not disclose any such

event. These will also be requested by state bar authorities in many states. If you are not

sure about the nature or the ultimate disposition of a particular charge, you are advised

to make full disclosure, as a subsequent finding that you failed to disclose relevant

information could have disqualifying consequences.

Western Michigan University

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you will be required to submit a character and

fitness summary form (emailed after application submission) where you will fully state the details

of the incident(s), including dates and outcomes. You will also be required to provide official

documentation pertaining to the reported incident(s). Official documentation may include but is not

limited to police reports, a final register of actions, final dispositions, certificates of completion, or

receipts of fines paid. If documents cannot be procured, you will be asked to provide verification in

writing from the source that a particular record is not available. Current driving records may be

required for incidents related to driving or loss of license. Official documentation can be submitted

with your application or sent after the application has been submitted.

a. In your entire life as an adult OR a juvenile have you: been convicted of, or pleaded guilty

or no contest or otherwise admitted responsibility to, or agreed to deferred adjudication

or adjournment in contemplation of dismissal of, or conceded that a prosecuting authority

had sufficient evidence to convict you of, or had a criminal conviction expunged, set

aside, sealed, or otherwise declared confidential for the violation of any law or ordinance

other than a minor parking or traffic violation? A minor traffic or parking violation refers

to an instance where only a citation was issued such as a speeding ticket. All careless and

reckless driving offenses, or any misdemeanor traffic offenses involving drugs or alcohol,

or any offenses that result in the suspension or revocation of your driver’s license, are

NOT considered minor and must be disclosed.

b. Are you currently a party to any proceeding that could result in fines, incarceration,

probation, or civil forfeiture, other than minor traffic or parking violations? (Civil

forfeiture means your property or money is taken because of a crime.) A minor traffic or

parking violation refers to an instance where only a citation was issued such as a speeding

ticket. All careless and reckless driving offenses, or any misdemeanor traffic offenses

involving drugs or alcohol, or any offenses that result in the suspension or revocation of

your driver’s license, are NOT considered minor and must be disclosed.

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 69

c. Have you been arrested in the last five years?

Minnesota

University of Minnesota

a. Have you ever in your entire life been charged with, or arrested for, the violation of any

law? This includes moving violations (traffic tickets), misdemeanors, felonies, and

administrative charges. You must disclose the requested information even if the charges

were dismissed or you were acquitted, the conviction was stayed or vacated, the record

was sealed or expunged, or you were told at the time that you would not need to disclose

in the future.

Mitchell Hamline University

a. Have you ever in your life been charged with the violation of any law, including traffic

laws? (Exclude paid parking tickets.) You must disclose this requested information even

if the charges were dismissed, you were acquitted, the conviction was stayed or vacated,

the record was sealed or expunged, or you were a juvenile. If you answered "yes," you

must provide a complete explanation.

St. Thomas University

a. Have you ever been charged with, cited for, arrested for, pleaded guilty to, or been

convicted of a violation of any law, other than a minor traffic violation or paid parking

violation? You must disclose this information even if the charges were dismissed or you

were acquitted, the conviction was stayed or vacated, the record was sealed or expunged,

or you were told by a judge or attorney, that you need not disclose this information.

b. Are there any criminal charges pending against you?

Mississippi

University of Mississippi

a. Have you ever been charged with, arrested for, convicted of, or pleaded guilty or nolo

contendere to a violation of any law? This includes minor traffic violations, charges of

driving under the influence, or any other drug- or alcohol-related offenses and any

expunged offenses. You should also disclose offenses which resulted in purged, sealed,

obliterated, dismissed or destroyed records, regardless of whether you have been told that

you need not disclose any such event. These will also be requested by state bar authorities

in many states. If "yes," please attach a statement explaining the circumstances of each

incident, whether such incident is still pending, and if not, its resolution

Mississippi College

If you answer YES to any of the following questions, YOU MUST explain the circumstances of

each incident, whether such incident is still pending, and if not, the incident's resolution. In

accordance with the standard requirements for the bar admission, you must disclose every incident

even if the charges were dismissed, if you were acquitted, if adjudication was withheld, or if a

conviction was reversed, set aside, vacated or expunged.

70 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

a. Have you either as an adult or a juvenile, been charged with, arrested for, convicted of,

and/or pled guilty or "no contest" to any crime or violation of the law? For bar admission

purposes, these should include matters which may have been expunged or been subject

to a court diversionary program. (Please NOTE: Traffic violations should be addressed

in questions below.)

b. Have you ever been charged or convicted or pled guilty to any drug or alcohol related

traffic violation?

c. Have you been charged with any moving traffic violations, including speeding tickets,

during the past seven years?

Missouri

University of Missouri

a. Other than minor traffic violations, have you ever been arrested for any violation of the

law? If yes, in an attachment, name the offense, the date and describe the circumstances

(see Attachments section). (This would include arrests for driving under the influence of

alcohol or any other substance.) Note: You must disclose the information requested in

this question even if you received a deferred prosecution, a suspended imposition of

sentence, the conviction was stayed or vacated, or the record (including but not limited

to proceedings in juvenile court, family court, or any court of general jurisdiction) was

expunged.

b. Are there any criminal charges currently pending against you? If yes, in an attachment,

please name the offense and describe the circumstances (see Attachments section).

University of Missouri, Kansas City

If the answer to any of the questions is yes, please provide a supplemental statement accurately and

fully describing the incident. If the matter has been concluded (for example, if a charge or claim

was brought against you and the proceedings relating to it have been completed), please explain

how it was resolved. If the matter is not completed (for example, if a charge or claim is still pending),

please explain the situation and how and when you expect it to be resolved. For every question, if

the answer is currently ‘no’ but there have been events that you believe may cause the answer to

change to ‘yes,’ you should disclose that.

a. Have you ever been arrested, charged, cited, issued a summons, taken into custody, or

been convicted for the violation of any law? You must disclose every instance in which

this has occurred even if charges ultimately were not brought against you or were

dismissed, you were acquitted, you received a suspended imposition of sentence, the

conviction was stayed or vacated, you were placed on probation, you were granted

deferred adjudication, you participated in any type of pretrial diversion, or the record was

sealed or expunged. You must disclose every incident regardless of whether you were an

adult or a juvenile at the time. You must disclose every incident regardless of whether

you have been advised by any source (such as legal counsel) that you need not disclose

the incident. No statute, court order, or legal proceeding withholding adjudication,

expunging or sealing any record, dismissing, vacating, or setting aside an arrest, charge,

or conviction shall excuse less than full disclosure of the incident in this application. The

incidents that must be disclosed include (but are not limited to) any violation relating to

alcohol or controlled substances (such as driving under the influence, driving while

intoxicated, minor in possession, public intoxication, or possession or use of false

identification). You may exclude violations of traffic laws (such as speeding tickets or

parking tickets) unless the violation resulted in time spent in jail, issuance of an arrest

warrant, or revocation or suspension of your driver’s license.

Saint Louis University

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 71

a. Have you ever been convicted, cited, arrested, charged, summoned or taken into custody

for the violation of any law? (Please exclude incidents listed in 2 & 3 above and also

exclude minor traffic or parking violations wherein the fine did not exceed $250.)

b. Have you ever been a party to any criminal, civil or administrative proceeding? (Please

exclude incidents listed in 2, 3, & 4 above.)

Washington University, Saint Louis

a. Have you ever been charged with and/or convicted of a criminal offense, including any

matters that may have been expunged, or received anything other than an honorable

discharge from the military? (Applicants do not need to disclose speeding tickets.)

Montana

University of Montana

a. Have you ever been found guilty of or pled guilty or no contest to a crime? NOTE: this

question means that you must disclose, regardless of whether a matter is or ever was of

record (including expunged records, deferred prosecutions, and deferred impositions of

sentence), (1) all criminal offenses committed at or after age 18, (2) all traffic offenses

occurring within the last five years, and (3) all felony criminal offenses committed as a

juvenile.

Nebraska

Creighton University

a. Have you ever been charged, arrested or cited (as an adult or a juvenile) for any crime

other than a minor traffic violation? You must include all offenses involving alcohol.

Disclosure is required regardless of the disposition, whether the record was sealed or

expunged, or whether you were told you did not need to disclose such events.

University of Nebraska

a. Have you ever been ticketed, cited, charged with or arrested for a crime other than a

minor traffic violation? Check "yes" even if the offense was expunged from your record,

you went through a pre-trial diversion program, your record was sealed or you were told

you did not need to disclose the matter. If "yes," please explain in detail the nature of the

crime, the circumstances surrounding the ticket, citation, charges or arrest and the

disposition (see Attachments section).

Nevada

University of Nevada

a. Have you ever been convicted of a crime or adjudicated delinquent, or are there any

criminal charges pending against you? (You need not report either juvenile matters for

which records have been sealed or minor traffic violations.)

New Hampshire

72 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

University of New Hampshire

Under New Hampshire law, applicants are not required to include expunged and annulled offenses.

Applicants bear the responsibility to ensure that each charge has actually been expunged or annulled

by a court of law.

a. Have you ever been arrested or charged with any offense by complaint or indictment, or

convicted of a crime, or are any charges now pending against you? "Convicted of a crime"

includes pleading guilty to any charge, a deferred judgment or deferred sentencing

arrangement. "Offenses" includes felonies, misdemeanors, and motor vehicle violations.

This does not include minor traffic or parking tickets, unless there are three (3) or more

in a twelve (12)-month period. You are not required to include any arrest or charge that

has been expunged or annulled by a court of law. (See note above.) Failure to disclose an

arrest, charge, or conviction that has not been annulled or expunged can lead to

disciplinary action and revocation of an admission offer.

New Jersey

Rutgers University

a. Are there any criminal or disciplinary charges pending or expected to be brought against

you?

b. Have you ever been cited for, charged with, taken into custody for, arrested for, indicted,

tried for, pled guilty to, or convicted of, the violation of any law (other than a minor

traffic violation) or been the subject of a juvenile delinquent or youthful offender

proceeding or received a conditional discharge, adjournment in contemplation of

dismissal, or pretrial diversionary program? (NOTE: driving while intoxicated or

impaired, driving without insurance, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident,

and driving while suspended are not considered minor traffic offenses for the purposes

of this question).The entry of an expungement or sealing order does not relieve you of

the duty to disclose the matter on this statement. This includes any juvenile record. You

may indicate the existence of such an order in your explanation. If yes, please include an

official statement of charges and dispositions.

Seton Hall University

a. Have you ever been cited for, charged with, taken into custody for, arrested for, indicted,

tried for, pled guilty to, or convicted of the violation of any law (other than a minor traffic

violation) or been the subject of a juvenile delinquent or youthful offender proceeding or

received a conditional discharge, adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, or pretrial

diversionary program? (Note: driving while intoxicated or impaired, driving without

insurance, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving while suspended

are NOT considered minor traffic offenses for the purposes of this section). The entry of

an expungement or sealing order does not relieve you of the duty to disclose the matter(s)

on this statement. You may indicate the existence of such an order in your explanation.

If "yes", you must complete the "Character and Fitness" attachment explaining the nature

of the proceeding and full details, including a narrative of facts, dates, name and location

of court, and disposition.

b. Have you ever been charged with fraud, larceny, embezzlement, misappropriation of

funds, misrepresentation, perjury, false swearing, conspiracy to conceal, or a similar

offense? If yes, you must complete the "Character and Fitness" attachment explaining

the nature of the proceeding and full details, including a narrative of facts, dates, name

and location of court, and disposition.

New Mexico

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 73

University of New Mexico

a. Have you ever had disciplinary action taken against you by any government, military,

administrative, or licensing agency? NOTE: Any reversal on appeal, expungement,

pardon, or other similar action must be disclosed and explained.

b. Have you ever been arrested or otherwise charged, formally or informally, with a

violation of the law (other than a minor traffic violation)?

c. Are any criminal or disciplinary charges currently pending against you?

New York

University at Albany

The statement should include dates, exact name and location of courts (if any), and final disposition

of all matters. Proof of final disposition is preferred, when availabe. If not available, please explain

the reason.

a. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been cited, arrested, taken into custody,

charged with, indicted, convicted, tried for, or pleaded guilty to, the commission of any

felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law, except minor parking or traffic

violations, or been the subject of any juvenile delinquency or youthful offender

processing, including matters that have been expunged or dismissed?

Brooklyn

a. Criminal Sanction: Have you ever, either as an adult or juvenile, been arrested for, or

convicted of any felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law other than minor

parking violations? (Note: Records sealed under court order or matters that have been

expunged or subject to a diversionary program must be disclosed. You may submit a

copy of any certificate of relief from disabilities or a certificate of good conduct in

connection with a conviction.)

b. Other Criminal or Non-Criminal Charges: Are there any criminal or non-criminal charges

pending or expected to be brought against you?

CUNY

a. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been cited, issued a summons, arrested,

taken into custody, charged with, indicted, pleaded guilty to, tried for or convicted for

the commission of any felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law, including

traffic laws, except minor parking violations, or been the subject of any juvenile

delinquency or youthful offender proceeding? Note: The expungement or sealing of a

record or the dismissal of any charge does not relieve you of the duty to disclose the

matter in this application. You may include the existence of an expungement, sealing or

dismissal in your explanation.

b. Are there any suspensions or criminal charges currently pending against you?

Columbia

a. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been cited, arrested, charged with,

indicted, convicted or tried for, or pleaded guilty to, the commission of any felony or

misdemeanor or the violation of any law, except minor parking violations, or been the

subject of any juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceeding? This should include

74 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

matters that may have been expunged from the records or subject to a diversionary

program. Please note that you should have available and be prepared to submit or exhibit

copies of police and court records regarding any matter you disclose in reply to this

question. If you answered "Yes," you must attach a detailed, complete, and truthful

explanation, including a statement of the charge(s), the disposition thereof and the

underlying facts. Please answer honestly, irrespective of any advice you may have

received to the contrary.

b. Are there any criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you?

Cornell

a. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been cited, ticketed, arrested, taken into

custody, charged with, indicted, convicted or tried for, or pleaded guilty to, the

commission of any felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law, or been the subject

of any juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceeding? Traffic violations that

occurred more than ten years before the filing of this application need not be reported,

with the exception of alcohol or drug-related traffic violations, which must be reported

in all cases irrespective of when they occurred. Do not report parking violations. If yes,

describe the incident(s) below. Although a conviction may have been expunged from the

records by an order of a court, it nevertheless should be disclosed in the answer to this

question. For example, if you were charged with shoplifting, only received a fine, and

the charge was expunged, you must disclose; or, if you were charged with, but not

convicted of, possession of an illegal substance, you must disclose; or if you received a

traffic violation as a minor for possession of alcohol, you must disclose. Also, you should

have available and be prepared to submit or exhibit copies of police and court records

regarding any matter you disclose in reply to this question.

Fordham

a. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been cited, ticketed, arrested, taken into

custody, charged with, indicted, convicted or tried for, or pleaded guilty to, the

commission of any felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law, or been the subject

of any juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceeding? Traffic violations that

occurred more than ten years before the filing of this application need not be reported,

except alcohol - or drug - related traffic violations, which must be reported in all cases,

irrespective of when they occurred. Do not report parking violations. Note: Although a

conviction may have been expunged from the records by order of a court, it nevertheless

should be disclosed in the answer to this question.

b. Have you ever been a complainant, party or witness to or otherwise involved in any civil

or criminal action, proceeding or investigation?

Hofstra

a. Have you ever, either as a juvenile or an adult, been charged with or convicted of any

crime, offense, violation (other than a minor traffic violation), or have any charges

pending? You must include matters that have either been expunged or dismissed. Please

provide details, including relevant parties involved, description of the incident,

disposition of the incident(s), photocopy of any official court documentation, and

information related to post-sentence events (pardons, etc.).

New York Law

a. Have you ever, as an adult or a juvenile, been cited, arrested, taken into custody, charged

with, convicted of or tried for, or pleaded guilty to, the commission of any felony or

misdemeanor or the violation of any law, except for minor traffic violations, or been the

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 75

subject of juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceeding, or is any such action

pending or expected to be brought against you? If you answer yes, attach a supplemental

statement that states the charge or charges, the disposition thereof, and the underlying

facts, as well as the dates and locations involved and the penalty imposed, if any. We

seek your statement and do not wish to receive court documents or letters from counsel.

Notes: Although a conviction may have been sealed or expunged from the record by an

order of the court, it nevertheless must be disclosed in answer to this question. An

example of a "minor traffic violation" includes parking tickets that have been paid. A

matter that is “like” a traffic violation, but does not involve a vehicle must be disclosed.

Traffic violations involving alcohol or drugs are not minor. If you are uncertain as to

whether a matter must be disclosed in accordance with this question, please ask the Office

of Admissions and Financial Aid. We advise you to fully disclose any matter; the

outcome does not determine whether the matter must be disclosed.

New York University

a. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been charged with or convicted of any

crime, or charged with or found to have committed any offense (whether or not defined

as a crime), or are any such charges pending? This should include matters that have been

expunged or dismissed.

PACE

a. Have you ever been convicted of or pled guilty, no contest, or nolo contendere to a felony,

misdemeanor or a violation of any law, except for minor traffic violations? If your answer

is yes, in your description of the facts and circumstances please include the charge(s)

against you, the underlying facts of the charge(s) against you, the disposition of the

charge(s), and the sentence imposed. (This question does not require the disclosure of

adjournments in contemplation of dismissal or youthful offender adjudications.)

b. Are there any criminal charges or proceedings pending against you now?

Cardoza - Yeshiva

a. Either as an adult or juvenile, have you ever been convicted of, or pled guilty or no contest

to, a violation of any law other than a minor traffic violation such as a parking or speeding

violation? (You should include convictions or pleas that were sealed, expunged and/or

subject to a diversionary program.) Traffic violations that occurred more than ten years

before the filing of this application need not be reported, with the exception of alcohol or

drug-related traffic violations, which must be reported in all cases irrespective of when

they occurred. If you answered "yes", please provide a thorough explanation in the text

box below. (maximum characters 4000)number of characters left is displayed after the

field

b. Are any such charges pending or expected to be brought against you?

St. John’s

a. Have you ever, either as an adult or juvenile, been cited, arrested, taken into custody,

charged with, indicted, convicted or tried for, or pleaded guilty to, the commission of any

felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law, except minor parking violations, or

been the subject of any juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceeding? If yes,

please explain in a supplementary statement or electronic attachment the charge or

charges and relevant facts, including the nature of the offense, the dates and courts

76 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

involved, and the penalty imposed, if any. Please note: Although a conviction may have

been expunged or sealed by an order of a court, it nevertheless should be disclosed in

answer to this question.

SUNY Buffalo

None

Syracuse

a. Have you ever been arrested, ticketed, charged with, taken into custody, indicted,

convicted or tried for, pled guilty to, or are you currently under indictment for any felony

or misdemeanor or any violation of law? Note: Although a conviction may have been

expunged from your record by an order of the court, it does not relieve you of the duty to

disclose the matter on this statement. In addition, traffic violations including drug or

alcohol related violations need to be disclosed. Misrepresentation may result in

administrative sanctions.

Touro

a. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been cited, ticketed, arrested, taken into

custody, charged with, indicted, convicted or tried for, or pleaded guilty to, the

commission of any felony or misdemeanor or the violation of any law, except minor

parking violations, or been the subject of any juvenile delinquency or youthful offender

proceeding? All matters, including those dismissed or with no charges filed (after taken

into custody) must be disclosed.

b. Are there any criminal charges, other than minor parking violations, pending against you?

Any pending charge involving alcohol or controlled substances must be disclosed.

North Carolina

Campbell

a. Have you EVER IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE been arrested, charged, convicted, warned,

taken into custody, or accused, formally or informally, of the violation of a law for any

offense, including, without limitation all traffic offenses {e.g. DUI/DWI offenses,

speeding, improper equipment, expired registration or inspection tags, failure to maintain

proof of insurance, failure to wear a seat belt, etc.}? You may NOT omit offenses that

were dropped, dismissed or reduced. But you may omit (i) offenses that were either

expunged or sealed and (ii) parking violations. Even if you perceive a matter to have been

minor or to have happened a long time ago, you MUST disclose the information.

b. Disclose each instance even though the charges may have been dismissed or reduced,

you were acquitted, adjudication was withheld, a conviction was reversed, set aside, or

vacated. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE ANY EXPUNGED OR

SEALED RECORDS. You must disclose and provide us with official copies of both the

original charge or citation and the ultimate disposition, including any reduced charges or

lesser included offenses.

c. Are there any disciplinary or criminal proceedings pending against you?

Duke

a. Have you ever (i) been arrested, charged or cited for a crime or (ii) been convicted of any

offense other than a minor traffic violation? You are not required to report any matter

that has been expunged by a court of law.

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 77

Elon

a. Have you ever received a citation for, been arrested for, charged with any criminal

charge? (Criminal charges include, but are not limited to: speeding tickets, other traffic

violations, charges of driving under the influence, and/or any crime in violation of the

laws of any jurisdiction. Any and all criminal charges must be fully disclosed.) If the

answer to this question is "yes", please provide a complete explanation in the attachment

section. A complete explanation should include the name of the charge/citation, the date

and location of the incident, and the disposition (i.e., guilty, not guilty, dismissal, plea to

a lesser charge, diversion program, community service, court costs, fine, penalty, etc.).

b. Have you ever been convicted of, or pled guilty, no contest, nolo contendere, entered an

Alford plea, or otherwise accepted responsibility for a crime? Have you received a

deferred prosecution or prayer for judgment continued for any criminal charge?

(Convictions or guilty pleas may include, but are not limited to: speeding tickets, other

traffic violations, charges of driving under the influence, and/or any crime in violation of

the laws of any jurisdiction. Any and all criminal convictions or guilty pleas must be fully

disclosed.) If the answer to this question is "yes", please provide a complete explanation

in the attachment section. A complete explanation should include the name of the

charge/citation, the date and location of the incident, and the disposition (i.e., guilty, not

guilty, dismissal, plea to a lesser charge, diversion program, community service, court

costs, fine, penalty, etc.).

c. Are there any criminal charges pending against you? (Criminal charges include, but are

not limited to: speeding tickets, other traffic violations, driving under the influence, other

alcohol or drug-related charges, and/or any crime in violation of the laws of any

jurisdiction.) If the answer to this question is "yes", please provide a complete

explanation in the attachment section. A complete explanation should include the name

of the charge/citation, the date and location of the incident, and the disposition (i.e.,

guilty, not guilty, dismissal, plea to a lesser charge, diversion program, community

service, court costs, fine, penalty, etc.).

d. Have you ever been requested to appear before any investigatory agency or prosecuting

attorney for any reason or any crime that has not been listed in the previous questions? If

the answer to this question is "yes", please provide a complete explanation.

University of North Carolina

Records that have been sealed or expunged by order of a court need not be disclosed on this

application.

a. Have you ever received a citation for, been arrested for, charged with, convicted of, or

pled guilty, no contest, nolo contendere, entered an Alford plea, or otherwise accepted

responsibility for a crime, or have you received a deferred prosecution or prayer for

judgment continued, for any criminal charge other than speeding? This would include

any charges of driving under the influence or any other drug or alcohol-related offenses.

(Records that have been sealed or expunged need not be disclosed.) If yes, please include

an attachment explaining the circumstances.

b. Are there any criminal charges pending against you or are you presently under

investigation for a crime of any kind? (This includes any charges of driving under the

influence or other drug or alcohol-related charges.) If yes, please include an attachment

explaining the circumstances.

North Carolina Central

78 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

Applicants are NOT required to disclose information concerning any arrest, criminal charge, or

criminal conviction that has BEEN EXPUNGED.

a. Have you EVER IN YOUR LIFE entered a plea of guilty, a plea of no contest, a plea of

nolo contendere, or an Alford plea to a criminal charge other than a minor traffic offense

(minor traffic-related offenses that do not need to be disclosed include: parking, traffic

infraction, or an original charge of speeding under 10mph)?

b. Have you EVER IN YOUR LIFE received a deferred prosecution or prayer for judgement

continued to a criminal charge other than a minor traffic offense (minor traffic-related

offenses that do not need to be disclosed include: parking, traffic infraction, or an original

charge of speeding under 10mph)?

c. Have you EVER IN YOUR LIFE been arrested, given a written warning (including a

citation), taken into custody, or accused, formally or informally, for an offense in

violation of law, other than a minor traffic offense (minor traffic-related offenses that do

not need to be disclosed include: parking, traffic infraction, or an original charge of

speeding under 10mph)?

d. Have you EVER IN YOUR LIFE accepted responsibility for the commission of a crime,

other than a minor traffic offense (minor traffic-related offenses that do not need to be

disclosed include: parking, traffic infraction, or an original charge of speeding under

10mph)?

e. Have you EVER IN YOUR LIFE ever been charged or convicted of DWl/DUI (driving

while/under the influence of drugs)?

f. Do you have any criminal charges pending against you, other than a minor traffic offense

(minor traffic-related offenses that do not need to be disclosed include: parking, traffic

infraction, or an original charge of speeding under 10mph)?

Wake Forest University

a. Have you ever been arrested, given a written warning, or taken into custody, or accused,

formally or informally, of the violation of a law for an offense other than traffic

violations? Speeding tickets and minor traffic offenses need not be disclosed.

b. Have you been charged with or convicted of DWI/DUI; or driving under the influence of

drugs?

North Dakota

University of North Dakota

If the answers to any the following questions are yes, you must provide records from the agency,

court, or military office documenting the charge and the disposition of that event, including any

sanctions imposed. In addition to the documentation from the agency, court, or military office, you

must provide your own personal explanation in the text box or attach an addendum to your

application describing the events that led to the charges(s). Your file will not be considered complete

and it will not be reviewed until this documentation has been submitted. Failure to submit this

documentation in a timely manner may cause your application to be denied or withdrawn.

a. Have you ever been cited for, arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any alcohol or

drug-related traffic violation, other than a violation that was resolved in juvenile court?

b. Have you ever been cited for, arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any moving

traffic violation during the past 10 years? (Omit parking violations.)

c. Have you ever been cited for, arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any violation of

any law, other than a case that was resolved in juvenile court?

Ohio

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 79

University of Akron

If you answer "yes," to any of these questions, please submit a DETAILED statement that references

the question number and that includes the following information (please be as SPECIFIC as

possible):

Date of incident and your age at the time of the incident

Parties involved

Description of incident

Result (expunged, dismissed, probation, arrest, incarceration, etc.)

Degree of misdemeanor or felony and code section (Ohio Revised Code or other state or city code

involved)

Photocopy of official court documentation, if applicable

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

Vague statements are NOT acceptable. Failure to fully disclose may result in dismissal from the

School of Law.

a. Are there any criminal charges pending against you?

b. Have you been arrested, charged, formally accused, cited, fined, posted bail, subject to a

restraining order, or ordered to do community service for the violation of any law

(including any juvenile or expunged matters, but excluding traffic or parking violations)?

c. Have you ever been or are you currently a party to or otherwise involved (except as a

witness) in any criminal or quasi-criminal action or legal proceeding (including, but not

limited to, a misdemeanor, minor misdemeanor, traffic offense or felony), including any

actions or legal proceedings that were dismissed, expunged, or sealed?

d. Have you ever been or are you currently a party to or otherwise involved (except as a

witness) in any action or legal proceeding in a juvenile court, including any actions or

legal proceedings that were dismissed, expunged or sealed?

e. Have you ever been summoned for a violation of any statute, regulation or ordinance?

f. Do you have any outstanding or unpaid fines, court costs, or tickets, including those for

traffic or parking violations?

g. Have you ever been granted immunity from prosecution?

h. Have you ever been cited or arrested for contempt of court for any reason, including, but

not limited to, failure to appear as a witness or answer a subpoena or a jury summons?

i. Have you been cited or fined for any moving traffic violations within the last ten years

(including moving violations that were dismissed, reduced, or removed from your

record)?

j. Have you ever been arrested for or charged with operating a vehicle while under the

influence of drugs or alcohol?

Capital University

a. Have you ever been apprehended, arrested, cited, given a ticket, charged, or convicted of

any crime or offense? Have you ever been court-martialed or charged with fraud? Have

you been cited or arrested for contempt of court for any reason including, but not limited

80 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

to, failure to appear as a witness or answer a subpoena or a jury summons? Question 1

Note: You must disclose this information even if the arrest, charge, apprehension,

citation, ticket, or conviction was later dismissed, withdrawn, reduced, dropped, or

diverted. You need not disclose incidents that occurred prior to the age of 18. You need

not disclose minor traffic offenses unless they involved the use, abuse, or possession of

alcohol, drugs, or other chemicals. You need not disclose incidents that, in fact, have

been officially expunged.

Case Western

a. As an adult or juvenile, have you ever been cited for, charged with, subject to a penalty

for, or convicted of a crime? A crime includes a misdemeanor, traffic offense, or felony

(excluding minor traffic violations for which the penalty was a fine of $150 or less).

Include traffic offenses involving driving under suspension or any in which being under

the influence of drugs or alcohol was an element of the offense, regardless of the amount

of the fine.

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

University of Cincinnati

a. Have you been cited for, arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any violation of any

law, including as a juvenile (except parking tickets)? Note: This should include matters

that have been expunged, dismissed, sealed, subject to a diversion program, or otherwise

set aside.

b. Do you have outstanding or unpaid fines, court costs, or tickets, including those for traffic

or parking violations?

c. Have you ever been charged with any alcohol- or drug-related traffic violations,

regardless of when they occurred?

d. Have you ever been charged with any moving traffic violations that were not alcohol- or

drug-related during the past ten years?

e. Are disciplinary actions or criminal charges pending against you?

Cleveland State

a. Are there any criminal charges pending against you or have you ever been convicted or

granted deferred adjudication or diversion for any offense, felony or misdemeanor,

including traffic offenses (like driving under the influence), but excluding minor moving

violations and parking tickets? (All matters must be reported, even if they were expunged

or the records sealed under the laws of any state).

University of Dayton

a. 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?

Ohio Northern University

a. Have you ever been charged with and/or convicted of any criminal offense other than

minor traffic violations including as a juvenile? You must answer YES even if your

record has been expunged. The Admissions Committee reserves the right to request

further documentation.

b. If you answered YES to question 1, was the incident a misdemeanor?

c. If you answered YES to question 1, was the incident a felony?

d. Are criminal charges now pending against you?

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 81

e. If you answered “yes” to number 4, are the charges pending against you misdemeanor

charges or felony charges?

Ohio State University

a. Except for minor traffic and parking violations, have you been formally charged, cited,

fined, posted bail, subject to a restraining order, or ordered to do community service for

the violation of any law? This means the original charge and not the negotiated or plea

bargained charge. This also includes juvenile, expunged, or dropped charges.

b. Are there any criminal charges pending against you?

If you answered affirmatively to any question in the Character and Fitness section, you must provide

a COMPLETE explanation, which needs to include essential information (e.g., the date, the specific

nature of the charge, the facts of the incident(s) that led to the charge(s), disposition, etc.) in your

own words. Simply providing court documents does not satisfy this requirement. Additional

information may be requested by the Admission Committee.

Toledo University

a. Have you ever been charged with, arrested for, or convicted of (either as an adult or as a

juvenile) the violation of any law? Minor traffic violations, except those involving drugs

and alcohol, need not be reported.

b. Are any criminal or traffic violations (other than minor traffic violations) currently

pending against you?

STATEMENT REGARDING DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS OR CRIMINAL OR TRAFFIC

VIOLATIONS: If you answered "Yes" to any of the above character and fitness questions, please

attach a detailed statement that includes the following information for each incident. Please be as

specific as possible.

Date of incident and your age at the time of the incident

Parties involved

Description of incident and initial charge

Outcome: dismissal or conviction (state final offense if conviction); sentence (fine, probation,

incarceration, etc.)

The University of Toledo College of Law reserves the right to require documentation related to any

disciplinary actions or criminal or traffic violations, including court records.

Oklahoma

PLEASE NOTE: It is your duty to be certain that any sealed or expunged record has in fact been

sealed or expunged. Expunged or sealed offenses, arrests, tickets, or citations need not be disclosed.

It is recommended that you obtain a copy of the Court Order expunging or sealing the record in

question. Failure to reveal an offense, arrest, ticket, or citation that is in fact not expunged or sealed

82 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

raises questions related to truthfulness in addition to questions regarding the offense itself. It is your

responsibility to notify the College of Law Admissions Office of any changes in the above answers.

Failure to timely notify the Admissions Office may result in the revocation of your admission or

student disciplinary proceedings.

a. Have you ever been charged with a crime, or are any criminal charges pending or

expected to be brought against you, other than minor traffic violations? Include any

alcohol or drug-related offenses and any reckless driving offenses.

Oklahoma City

a. Have you EVER been cited for, charged with, arrested for, or indicted for ANY violation

of criminal law? Violations of criminal law include charges and tickets for speeding or

minor traffic violations, even if a fine was paid and the charges were dismissed. Include

parking violations only if you have received ten or more tickets.

b. Have you ever received deferred adjudication or probation for any violation of criminal

law, even if the offense has been expunged and does not appear on your permanent

record?

c. Are there any criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you?

Tulsa

a. CRIMINAL SANCTIONS:Have you ever been charged with or convicted of any felony?

You must include deferred or sealed records. Juvenile records that have been sealed need

not be disclosed.

b. Have you ever been charged with or convicted of a crime of violence? You must include

deferred or sealed records. Juvenile records that have been sealed need not be disclosed.

c. Have you ever been charged with or convicted of a drug or alcohol related offense? You

must include deferred or sealed records. Juvenile records that have been sealed need not

be disclosed.

Oregon

Lewis and Clark University

a. Have you ever been cited for, arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any violation of

any law other than a case that was resolved in juvenile court? This includes traffic

violations. If "Yes," please provide an explanation of each incident including the

resolution of the action and your reflections on each incident. Note: Include matters that

have been dismissed, expunged, subjected to a diversion or deferred prosecution

program, or otherwise set aside, except those in juvenile court.

University of Oregon

a. Including any matters that may have been expunged, except expunged juvenile matters,

have you ever been cited, arrested, charged, or convicted of a criminal offense?

b. Are there any such disciplinary actions, charges, or proceedings referenced in the three

questions above pending or expected to be brought against you?

Williamette

a. As either an adult or a juvenile, have you ever been charged with, arrested for, convicted

of, or pled guilty or no contest to any infraction, violation of any law or ordinance, or for

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 83

the commission of any felony or misdemeanor? You must disclose all adjudications in

which a sentence or judgment has been withheld, deferred, expunged, or the record

sealed, regardless of whether you understood or have been told that you need not disclose

any such instance.

Pennsylvania

Drexel University

a. Since the age of 18, have you ever been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any crime or

violation, other than a minor traffic violation (i.e., parking or speeding citations) that has

not been subsequently expunged? 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 it has been more than 10 years since you turned 18, you need only list those

convictions that occurred in the past 10 years.

Duquesne

a. Between the ages of 14 and 18, were you ever convicted of or pleaded guilty to a crime

involving serious bodily harm to another person?

b. 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, you need only address those convictions or guilty pleas that occurred

within the last ten years.

University of Pennsylvania

a. Have you ever, either as an adult or a juvenile, been arrested, charged, cited or convicted

of a crime (including misdemeanors), or cited for an infraction (including moving

violations), or is any charge now pending against you? (This should include matters that

have been expunged or subject to a diversionary program.)

Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson

a. 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, you need only list those convictions that occurred in the past 10

years. Please note that nothing in this question should be interpreted to be inconsistent

with the Pennsylvania Clean Slate law.

b. 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 it has been more than 10 years since

you turned 18, you need only list those convictions that occurred in the past 10 years.

Please note that nothing in this question should be interpreted to be inconsistent with the

Pennsylvania Clean Slate law.

c. Are there criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you by any law

enforcement agency, civil or administrative agency, or any other agency? If you answered

"yes" to this question, any and all details surrounding these circumstances must be

disclosed in an addendum to this question using the corresponding document in the

"Attachments" section of this application.

84 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

Pennsylvania State University, University Park

a. Are you currently or have you ever been arrested, charged, cited, accused, or prosecuted

for any crime by a law enforcement agency, or have you ever been the subject of any

investigation by a law enforcement agency, civil or administrative agency, professional

organization, corporation, board, or any other agency? This does NOT include summary

(minor) motor vehicle violations for which you received a citation (ticket). If you

answered “Yes” to this question, any and all details surrounding these circumstances

must be disclosed in an addendum to this question using the corresponding document in

the “Attachments” section of this application.

You must answer “yes” to this question even if: the charges were dismissed; or you were acquitted

or pardoned; or adjudication was withheld; or a conviction was reversed, set aside, or vacated. You

are not required to answer "yes" if your records have been expunged or subject to limited access

pursuant to Pennsylvania Act 56 of 2018.

b. Do you expect to be, or have you been notified or told that you will be charged, cited,

accused or prosecuted for any crime by a law enforcement agency or do you have reason

to believe or have you been notified that you are or will be the subject of any investigation

by any law enforcement agency, civil or administrative agency, professional

organization, corporation, board, or any other agency? This does NOT include summary

(minor) motor vehicle violations for which you received a citation (ticket).

Pittsburg

a. Are there any disciplinary charges pending or expected to be brought against you? If your

answer is "Yes," please explain in an electronic attachment.

b. Are you currently or have you ever been arrested, charged, cited, accused, or prosecuted

for any crime by a law enforcement agency, or have you ever been the subject of any

investigation by a law enforcement agency, civil or administrative agency, professional

organization, corporation, board, or any other agency (including, but not limited to, the

lawyer Disciplinary Board, Attorney General's Office, government entity, law firm, etc.)?

This does NOT include summary (minor) motor vehicle violations for which you were

given a citation (ticket). Expunged or sealed convictions or sanctions MUST be

disclosed.

Villanova

a. Are there any disciplinary, academic, or criminal charges pending or expected to be

brought against you?

b. 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?

c. Between the ages of 14 and 18, were you ever adjudicated delinquent of or pleaded guilty

to a crime involving serious bodily injury to another person?

Temple University

a. Have you ever been arrested, accused, charged, prosecuted, or pled guilty or nolo

contendere to a crime for an offense other than a minor traffic violation? If the answer is

yes, please detail the exact nature of the offense and the dates on a separate page or

electronic attachment and enclose with your application. This does NOT include

summary (minor) motor vehicle violations for which you were give a citation/ticket. It

does include all alcohol-related traffic citation (e.g. DUI, OWI)

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 85

Widener Commonwealth

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.

a. 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.

b. 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 occured more than 10 years ago.

c. 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?

Puerto Rico

Inter-American Puerto Rico

a. With exceptions to minor traffic violations, have you ever been convicted for violating

the law in Puerto Rico, the United States, or any foreign country?

University of Puerto Rico

a. Have you been convicted of any crime?

Rhode Island

Roger Williams University

a. Have you ever, as an adult or a juvenile, been charged with a felony, regardless of how

any such charge was disposed of or whether any conviction was expunged from your

record?

b. Have you, within the last five years, as an adult or a juvenile, been convicted of a

misdemeanor?

c. Are there any pending criminal charges against you now? Minor, non-criminal traffic

offenses such as parking and speeding tickets need not be disclosed.

South Carolina

Charleston University

a. Have you ever been charged, arrested for, formally accused, or convicted of any traffic

or criminal offense? (i.e., underage possession, open container, simple possession, etc.)

b. Have you ever been charged with or convicted of a felony?

c. Are any criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you?

University of South Carolina

86 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

Include all disciplinary actions, charges, convictions, and traffic violations. You may exclude

parking tickets, but you must disclose all traffic violations including those you consider to be minor.

You must provide a complete record of all instances in which you have been arrested, taken into

custody, or accused, formally or informally, of a violation of the law. Include instances that were

expunged by Order of the Court and juvenile offenses, whether or not the records are sealed.

Disclose each instance even if the charges were dismissed, you were acquitted, adjudication was

withheld, a conviction was reversed, set aside, or vacated, the record was sealed or expunged, or

you participated in a pre-trial intervention program.

a. Have you ever been arrested, taken into custody, or accused, formally or informally, of a

violation of the law? Please refer to the instructions above concerning what must be

disclosed in response to this question.

b. Are any criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you?

South Dakota

University of South Dakota

a. Have you ever been charged or convicted of any felony or misdemeanor, petty or other

offense, including moving traffic violations? Include all incidents no matter how minor

the infraction, whether expunged or suspended imposition of sentence. Jevenile

proceedings must be included.

Tennessee

Belmont

a. Have you ever as a juvenile been cited for, arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any

violation of any law? Note: Include matters that have been dismissed, expunged, subject

to diversion or deferred prosecution program, or otherwise set aside. Do not include

simple fines for parking and moving violations (e.g. speeding, failure to yield); however,

driver's license suspension and other court actions taken beyond paying a simple fine

must be disclosed.

b. Have you ever as an adult been cited for, arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any

violation of any law? Note: Include matters that have been dismissed, expunged, subject

to diversion or deferred prosecution program, or otherwise set aside. Do not include

simple fines for parking and moving violations (e.g. speeding, failure to yield); however,

driver's license suspension and other court actions taken beyond paying a simple fine

must be disclosed.

c. Have you ever been a party to or otherwise involved in any legal proceeding (civil or

criminal)?

Lincoln Memorial

If you answer "yes" to any of the above questions, you must fully explain the nature of each incident.

Answering "yes" to any question does not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration

for admission. The Admissions Committee would like the opportunity to review all relevant facts

including (but not limited to) the issue(s), the offense(s), the date(s) of the offense(s), the law

enforcement agency involved and disposition, including fine(s), court costs or other penalties, etc.

Please include the corresponding question number(s) and question(s) for each explanation.

a. Have you ever been arrested?

b. Have you ever been a party to a legal proceeding?

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 87

Memphis

If you answer yes to any of the following six (6) questions, you must provide relevant details of the

incident, including, but not limited to, the date of the incident, the location of the incident, and the

outcome of the incident. Failure to provide detailed information may result in the Admissions

Office requesting additional information, which will ultimately delay the admission decision.

Copies of relevant court or other documents should accompany the explanation.

Even expunged or sealed matters MUST be disclosed, unless the expunged or sealed matter was

resolved while you were a juvenile (i.e., 17 or younger).

a. Have you ever been arrested, taken into custody, formally accused, indicted, charged,

cited, or convicted (by plea agreement, no contest plea, or otherwise) in connection with

the violation of a criminal law or ordinance in any jurisdiction? The foregoing includes:

i. All adult offenses and matters that have been expunged or otherwise removed

from court records.

ii. Any delinquent act if you were fourteen (14) or more years of age at the time

of the alleged act and the conduct constituting the delinquent act, if committed

by an adult, would be a serious felony as specified in T.C.A. 37-1-154(b)(2)*

involving use of a weapon or bodily injury to the victim. If you were charged

or convicted as a juvenile with any of these serious acts, you must provide a

detailed description of the incident, even if the juvenile court matter has been

expunged, along with any documentation that may still be available, and the

disposition of the case.

iii. You must disclose all traffic violations UNLESS the traffic violation (1) did

not result in a jail sentence, (2) did not result in suspension or revocation of

your driver’s license, AND (3) did not result in a fine of $200 or more,

including court costs and fees. However, any arrest , charge, or conviction for

driving while intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or drugs must be

disclosed regardless of outcome or sanction imposed

*The conduct would specifically constitute “first degree murder , second

degree murder, rape, aggravated rape, rape of a child, aggravated robbery,

especially aggravated robbery, kidnapping, aggravated kidnapping or

especially aggravated kidnapping.”

b. Have you ever been charged with fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, forgery, or other acts

of dishonesty in any civil, criminal, administrative, or other proceeding?

Vanderbilt

a. Have you ever, either as an adult or minor, been charged with or convicted of any crime,

or charged with or found to have committed any offense (whether or not defined as a

crime), or received anything other than an honorable discharge from the military? This

should include matters that have been expunged or dismissed.

b. Are any charges pending or expected which would require you to answer "yes" to either

question above?

Tennessee

a. Have you ever been arrested, charged or convicted of any felony or misdemeanor,

including any charges or convictions that were expunged? Have you ever been charged

88 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

or convicted of a violation of any other law or ordinance, excluding a parking or traffic

violation? If yes, please supply a statement explaining the date and nature of the offense

and provide certified copies of the court documents related to the disposition of the

matter(s). Note: Your application will not be considered for an admission decision until

this documentation has been received.

Texas

Baylor University

Instructions for the question below: You may exclude minor traffic violations. You must, however,

report any traffic or other offenses involving alcohol, drugs, or a controlled substance, or any

offenses in which there was an attempt, successful or not, to suspend or revoke your driver's license.

List and provide a detailed explanation of each instance, including its ultimate disposition. You

must disclose each instance, even if no charges were filed, even if you were granted any type of

pretrial diversion, even if filed charges were dismissed (with or without prejudice), even if such

charges resulted in a deferred adjudication, even if you were acquitted of such charges, or even if

such charges resulted in a conviction that was reversed, set aside, vacated, or expunged.

Administrative license suspensions must also be disclosed. You must also disclose any matters

involving a failure to appear or answer any citation or warrant, whether for a traffic violation or

otherwise. Disclosure is required even if you have been informed by any source that you do not

have to disclose any such instance and even if a search of your public records made by you or on

your behalf did not disclose an instance that has in fact occurred.

a. Have you ever, either as an adult or juvenile, been ticketed for, arrested for, charged with,

or convicted of any violation of the law?

Houston University

For questions 1, 2, and 3, please forward the official documentation showing the final disposition

of the incident(s).

a. Have you ever been convicted of an offense, placed on probation, or granted deferred

adjudication or any type of pretrial diversion? You must report any such offenses

involving alcohol or drugs. You must report any failure to appear conviction resulting

from any offense. You must report any conviction for failure to maintain financial

responsibility (legally required auto insurance). You may exclude only Class C

misdemeanor traffic violations.

b. Have you, within the last ten (10) years, been arrested, cited or ticketed for, or charged

with any violation of the law? You must report any offenses involving alcohol or drugs.

You must report any failure to appear charge or warrant resulting from any such offense.

You must report any failure to maintain financial responsibility (legally required auto

insurance), arrest, citation, ticket, or charge. You may exclude only Class C misdemeanor

traffic violations.

c. Have you ever been confined by any governmental authority because you were found to

be dangerous to yourself or others?

University of North Texas, Dallas

a. Have you been arrested, formally accused, charged, cited, fined, posted bail, subject to

or currently under a restraining order, or ordered to do community service for any ANY

violation of law? You must report any and/or all offenses involving alcohol or drugs.

You may exclude ONLY Class C misdemeanor traffic violations. You must report any

failure to appear charge or warrant resulting from any offense.

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 89

b. Have you ever been CONVICTED of ANY offense, placed on probation, or granted

deferred adjudication or any type of pretrial diversion? You may exclude ONLY Class

C misdemeanor traffic violations. You must report any such offenses involving alcohol

or drugs. You must report any failure to appear conviction resulting from any offense,

including a failure to appear conviction resulting from a Class C Misdeameanor traffic

violation.

St. Mary’s College

a. Have you ever been convicted of and/or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere (no contest)

to any violation of the criminal laws other than a minor traffic violation? Adults who

have been charged with a crime and who accept Deferred Adjudication must report such

information under this question because the concept of Deferred Adjudication involves a

plea of guilty or no contest, and the offense cannot be erased from a person’s record. An

applicant does not need to disclose information about a juvenile record. Further, an

applicant does not need to disclose information about a criminal record that has been

sealed, ordered nondisclosed, or expunged; however, it is up to each applicant to ensure

that his/her offense is in fact expunged, ordered nondisclosed, and/or sealed under the

relevant state law. If an applicant fails to disclose information that is not in fact expunged,

ordered nondisclosed, or sealed, the applicant may be subject to disciplinary action by

the University. NOTE: You must include any offenses involving drugs or alcohol as well

as any failure to appear warrant, unless excused as described above. Important: You have

a continuing obligation to update the St. Mary’s School of Law Office of Admissions if

there is any information that would require your answer to this question to change to

“yes”.

University of South Texas, Houston

a. Have you ever been arrested, cited, or ticketed for, or charged with any violation of the

law? You may exclude minor traffic violations. You must report any offenses involving

alcohol or drugs, any failure to maintain motor vehicle financial responsibility (aka No

Insurance or No Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance), and any offenses in which there was

an attempt, whether successful or not, to suspend or revoke your driver's license. You

must report any failure-to-appear charges resulting from the offense.

b. Have you ever been convicted of an offense, placed on probation, or granted deferred

adjudication or any type of pretrial diversion in any jurisdiction? You may exclude minor

traffic violations. You must report any offenses involving alcohol or drugs, any failure to

maintain motor vehicle financial responsibility (aka No Insurance or No Motor Vehicle

Liability Insurance), and any offenses in which there was an attempt, whether successful

or not, to suspend or revoke your driver's license. You must report any failure-to-appear

charges resulting from the offense.

Southern Methodist University

a. Have you ever been arrested, cited or ticketed for, or charged with any violation of the

law? You must report all offenses, including offenses involving alcohol or drugs. You

may exclude Class C misdemeanor traffic violations, however you must report any failure

to appear charge or warrant resulting from any offense, including Class C misdemeanors.

An offense is not a minor traffic violation if it involved alcohol or drugs, or if there was

an attempt, whether successful or not, to suspend or revoke your driver's license as a

result of the violation.

b. Are you currently under indictment or have you ever been convicted of any offense,

placed on probation or granted deferred adjudication or any type of pretrial diversion?

90 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

You must report all offenses, including offenses involving alcohol or drugs. You may

exclude Class C misdemeanor traffic violations, however you must report any failure to

appear arrest or conviction for any offense, including Class C misdemeanors.

University of Texas

a. Have you ever been arrested and convicted of an offense, placed on probation, or granted

deferred adjudication or any type of pretrial diversion, or are there any charges pending

against you? If you answer "yes," please explain fully on a separate sheet, and upload the

attachment. No You must report: • any such offenses involving alcohol or drugs. • any

failure to appear conviction resulting from an offense. • any conviction for failure to

maintain financial responsibility (legally required auto insurance). While an applicant

does not need to disclose information about a juvenile or criminal record that has been

sealed or expunged, it is up to each applicant to ensure that their offense is in fact

expunged and/or sealed under the relevant state law. If an applicant fails to disclose

information that is not in fact expunged or sealed, the applicant may be subject to

disciplinary action by the University.

Texas A&M

It is not necessary to disclose information about a juvenile or criminal record that has been sealed

or expunged; however, it is up to you to ensure that your offense is in fact expunged and/or sealed

under the relevant state law. Mistaken belief or detrimental reliance upon the advice of a third party

(such as an attorney or judge) is no excuse for the failure to disclose a reportable offense that has

not actually been expunged or sealed. To ensure that you do not run afoul of this exception, you

should obtain a copy of the signed Motion and Order of Expungement from the court in question.

(You must report any alleged or pending charges, violations, and/or sanctions.)

a. Have you ever been arrested, cited or ticketed, charged with, convicted of, placed on

deferred adjudication, or pled guilty or pled nolo contendere (no contest) to any violation

or criminal offense other than a minor traffic violation? Note: You must report any failure

to appear resulting from any offense, including a minor traffic offense, any failure to

maintain financial responsibility (legally required auto insurance), and any attempt,

whether successful or not, to suspend or revoke your driver's license.

(You must report any violation involving the use of drugs or alcohol, regardless of the severity of

the incident.)

Texas Southern University

If you answer "yes" to question 1, you must submit official court records as well as a detailed

explanation of each instance, including its ultimate disposition. If a court or arresting/ticketing

agency is unable to provide copies of pertinent records, you must obtain a written statement so

stating from the court or agency. You must disclose each instance even if no charges were filed,

even if you were granted any type of pretrial diversion such as deferred disposition or deferred

adjudication, even if charges were dismissed, even if you were acquitted of such charges, and even

if such charges resulted in a conviction that was reversed, set aside, vacated, or expunged. If

expunged, please attach (in the Attachments Section) official court documents showing that the

charges were expunged and the date of the expungement.

a. Have you ever (either as a juvenile or adult), been charged, arrested, convicted, or granted

deferred adjudication or deferred disposition in any jurisdiction of any crime other than

a minor traffic violation? If yes, give details in a separate statement and attach to this

application in the Attachments Section.

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 91

Texas Tech University

a. Have you ever been arrested, cited or ticketed for, convicted of an offense, placed on

probation, granted deferred adjudication or any type of pretrial diversion, or charged with

any violation of the law? You must report any such offenses involving alcohol or drugs.

You must report any failure to appear charge or warrant resulting from any such offense.

You must report any failure to maintain financial responsibility (legally required auto

insurance) arrest, citation, ticket or charge. You may exclude only Class C misdemeanor

traffic violations. An applicant does not need to disclose information about a juvenile or

criminal record that has been sealed or expunged; however, it is up to each applicant to

ensure that their offense is in fact expunged and sealed under the relevant state law. If an

applicant fails to disclose information that is not in fact expunged or sealed, the applicant

may be subject to disciplinary action. If so, please explain below. If additional space is

required, please provide a separate attachment.

b. Are there any charges pending against you which, if you were convicted, would require

you to answer "yes" to the previous question? If so, please explain below. If additional

space is required, please provide a separate attachment.

Utah

Brigham Young

a. Criminal Sanctions: Are there any criminal charges now pending or expected to be

brought against you? Have you ever been arrested, cited, or convicted of any felony,

misdemeanor, or other violation, excluding minor traffic offenses, or had a warrant issued

for failure to appear, even for minor traffic offenses? Include charges to which you may

have pleaded guilty or no contest or for which you have been placed on probation or

granted deferred adjudication, even if the incident occurred when you were a juvenile

and/or the record is/has been sealed. Although a conviction may have been expunged

from your record by an order of the court, it nevertheless should be disclosed in answer

to this question.

b. Has there ever been an attempt, whether successful or not, to revoke your driver's license

based on an offense involving drugs and/or alcohol?

University of Utah

a. Have you ever been convicted of a crime or are charges pending against you? A

conviction includes a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, a plea in abeyance if it is in its

period of probation, or a verdict or finding of guilt regardless of whether a sentence was

imposed, or if the conviction has been expunged from your records. All drug- and

alcohol-related offenses must be reported. Other than drug- and alcohol-related offenses,

you are not required to report misdemeanor juvenile offenses, Juvenile felonies must be

reported. You are not required to report minor traffic offenses.

Vermont

University of Vermont

Under Vermont law, you are not required to disclose sealed or expunged Vermont criminal records.

92 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

a. Have you ever, as an adult or a juvenile, been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of

any criminal or civil law regardless of disposition of any such charge? (Minor, non-

criminal traffic offenses such as parking and speeding tickets need not be disclosed.)

b. Are there any pending criminal charges against you now? Minor, non-criminal traffic

offenses such as parking and speeding tickets need not be disclosed.

Virginia

Appalachian

While Appalachian School of Law is prohibited by Virginia statute from requiring disclosure of

information concerning arrests or charges that have been officially expunged (see Virginia Code §

19.2-392.4), state bar examiners may require that bar applicants disclose such information and

closely compare disclosures on law school applications with such disclosures on applications for

bar admissions.

a. Regardless of the outcome, have you ever been arrested, cited, ticketed for or charged

with any violation of the law, including juvenile offenses and traffic violations? (Note:

In other words, all violations of the law must be reported.)

b. Are there any disciplinary charges pending or expected to be brought against you?

George Mason University

a. Have you ever been charged with, convicted of, and/or pleaded guilty or no contest to

any violation of the criminal laws (misdemeanors and felonies) including expungement?

b. Are there any criminal charges, felony, misdemeanor or other, pending against you

which, if you were convicted, would require you to answer "yes" to the previous

question? Answer yes even if directed by an attorney not to disclose.

c. Have you ever been cited for any traffic infractions (including traffic camera infractions),

regardless of disposition? Do not include parking tickets.

Liberty University

a. Have you been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any offense(s)? (Please include

traffic violations.)

b. Are you now under charges for any violation of law?

c. Are there any criminal charges pending or expected to be brought against you?

d. Are you a plaintiff or a defendant in an ongoing lawsuit?

Regent University

Applicants must disclose dismissed charges but need not disclose charges when the charge has been

expunged in accordance with applicable state law.

a. Have you been charged, arrested, convicted, fined, jailed, placed on probation, or ordered

to do community service, for the violation of any law, including traffic violations, but

excluding parking violations?

b. Have you ever been a party to a civil lawsuit, other court proceeding, or government

administrative action or proceeding?

Richmond University

a. Other than minor traffic violations, have you ever been arrested for any violation of the

law? If yes, in an attachment, name the offense and the date, and describe the

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 93

circumstances (see Attachments section). (This would include arrests for driving under

the influence of alcohol or any other substance.) Note: You must disclose the information

requested in this question even if you received a deferred prosecution, a suspended

imposition of sentence, the conviction was stayed or vacated, or the record (including but

not limited to proceedings in juvenile court, family court, or any court of general

jurisdiction) was expunged.

b. Are there any criminal charges currently pending against you?

University of Virginia

a. Have you ever been cited for, charged with, taken into custody for, arrested for, indicted

for, tried for, pled guilty to, or convicted of, the violation of any law, excluding minor

traffic or parking violations? Note: incidents involving alcohol or drug possession,

driving while intoxicated or impaired, damage to property, injury to person(s), driving

without insurance, leaving the scene of an accident, driving on a suspended license,

and/or reckless driving are NOT considered minor offenses for the purposes of this

section and should be disclosed here. This question does NOT require you to disclose

information concerning any arrest or criminal charge that has been expunged at the time

you submit this application. This question does NOT require you to disclose incidents

that were the subject of a juvenile delinquency or youthful offender proceeding.

b. Are there any charges pending or expected to be brought against you?

Washington and Lee

Though Washington and Lee University is prohibited by Virginia statute from requiring disclosure

of information concerning arrests or charges that have been officially expunged (See Virginia Code

19.2-392.4), state bar examiners may require that bar applicants disclose such information and

closely compare disclosures on law school applications with disclosures on applications for bar

admission. We therefore encourage full, voluntary disclosure

a. Have you ever been cited, ticketed, taken into custody, arrested, or prosecuted for, or

charged with, any violation of law other than (a) citations for parking violations and (b)

arrests, charges, prosecutions, or convictions that have been officially expunged in

accordance with applicable statutory provisions?

b. Have you ever entered into a plea agreement or any arrangement to avoid prosecution

other than agreements or arrangements specifically involving arrests, charges,

prosecutions, or convictions that have been officially expunged in accordance with

applicable statutory provisions?

c. Are you now the subject of a criminal or administrative investigation?

William and Mary

a. Are there any criminal proceedings pending or expected to be brought against you?

b. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE ANY EXPUNGED OR SEALED

RECORDS. You must provide official copies of both the original charge or citation and

a complete and accurate explanation of the incident. Have you EVER IN YOUR ENTIRE

LIFE been arrested, charged, convicted, warned, taken into custody for the violation of a

law, court order, or for any offense, including, without limitation, all traffic offenses (e.g.

DUI/DWI/OWI offenses, speeding, improper equipment, expired registration or

inspection tags, failure to maintain proof of insurance, failure to wear a seat belt, etc.), or

formally accused of, charged with, or indicted for such violations? You may NOT omit

offenses that were dropped, dismissed or reduced. But you may omit (i) offenses that

were either expunged or sealed and (ii) parking violations. Even if you perceive a matter

94 STANFORD LAW & POLICY REVIEW ONLINE [Vol. 32]

to have been minor or to have happened a long time ago, you MUST disclose the

information.

If yes, you MUST disclose and fully and accurately describe each instance even though the charges

may have been dismissed or reduced, you were acquitted, adjudication was withheld, a conviction

was reversed, set aside, or vacated. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE ANY

EXPUNGED OR SEALED RECORDS. You must provide us with official copies of both the

original charge or citation and the ultimate disposition, including any reduced charges or lesser

included offenses. (maximum characters 3000)

Washington

Gonzaga University

a. Have you ever been arrested, cited for, detained for, indicted with, or convicted of any

crime, whether a felony or misdemeanor? This question requires disclosure of all criminal

matters, including: (i) all criminal motor vehicle offenses, including moving traffic

violations, for example: speeding tickets, failure to yield, and failure to provide insurance

(omit parking violations); (ii) any juvenile offense even if the record was sealed or

expunged. Disclosure is required regardless of whether a charge is pending, was dropped,

you entered a diversion program, prosecution was deferred, adjudication was deferred or

withheld, and even if there was a judgment of acquittal. If yes, provide a complete

explanation of the matter, including the initial charges and the ultimate resolution. If you

are unsure about the nature or resolution of a particular charge, it is your responsibility

to obtain the information before you respond. (If you are not sure about the nature or the

ultimate disposition of a particular charge, it is your responsibility to check with the

courts before you answer.)

b. Has a restraining order, anti-harassment order, no contact order, or the like (whether

administrative, civil, or criminal in nature) ever been requested against you? This

question includes a request/petition that may not have ultimately been granted.

Seattle University

a. Have you ever been charged or convicted of a felony, misdemeanor, or other crime?

University of Washington

a. Have you ever been cited for, arrested for, charged with, or convicted for any violation

of any law including any cases resolved in juvenile court, whether expunged or not, or is

any such charge now pending against you?

West Virginia

University of West Virginia

a. Have you ever been cited for, arrested for, charged with, pled to, or been convicted of

any violation of any criminal law other than a case that was resolved in juvenile court?

You should include matters that have been dismissed, expunged, subject to a diversion

or deferred prosecution program, or otherwise set aside. (If yes, please attach an

explanation.)

b. Are any criminal charges currently pending against you? (If yes, please attach an

explanation.)

c. Have you ever had a complaint filed against you in any domestic abuse proceeding or

been the subject of a protective order? (If yes, please attach an explanation.)

[2021] DO THEY REALLY ASK THAT? 95

Wisconsin

Marquette University

a. With respect to criminal charges, civil law violations, or local ordinance violations

(excluding parking violations, but including all other tickets or citations, including those

for moving violations) have you ever, as an adult or juvenile, been arrested, charged,

convicted, issued a citation, or served probation, or paid restitution or served probation

in lieu of being arrested, charged, convicted, or entering a plea (whether a plea of guilty

or no contest)? You must disclose each instance, however adjudicated, including juvenile

delinquency proceeding, criminal case, court martial, or case of an ordinance violation,

whether or not the charge and the plea or conviction differ, whether arrest, judgment,

conviction, or sentence has been withheld or expunged, or the record sealed, regardless

of whether you have been told that you need not disclose any such instance.

b. Are you presently the subject of any proceedings involving the matters addressed in 1

through 4?

University of Wisconsin

a. Criminal/Civil/Military Infractions: Have you ever been cited, arrested, charged,

convicted or sentenced for any criminal, civil, or ordinance violation, at the federal, state,

or local level? This includes, for example, any adult, juvenile, or military violations, as

well as any forfeitures. You must answer whether or not the matter was resolved in a

conviction, a dismissal, or was resolved at the same or a different level of seriousness as

the original violation. You must also answer even if a finding of guilt or sentence was

suspended or withheld, or the record was expunged or sealed.You must include all

citations and tickets, including traffic tickets, speeding tickets, and moving violations.

Only parking violations may be omitted.

b. Impaired Driving: Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, convicted of, or entered

a plea of guilty or no contest to a violation that involved driving under the influence of

alcohol or driving under the influence of drugs?

c. Pending Issues: Are any such issues currently pending, which relate to incidents

described previously? Pending issues include, for example, any incident for which you

are on probation or under supervision.

Wyoming

University of Wyoming

a. Have you ever been convicted of or entered a plea of guilty or no contest to any violation

of law other than minor traffic violations?