A. Qualifications for Admission to the Bar
In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
Please note that violations of law may also be within the jurisdiction of the Student Code of Conduct.
B. Application Amendments
An amendment is a disclosure that should have been made when initially applying for admission to the law school. In the law school application, all students are asked to provide information related to their character and fitness to practice law.
Students have an ongoing responsibility to amend their application for admission if new information that should have been disclosed is discovered any time after the application is submitted. A student who determines that an amendment to their application is required must complete the online Application Amendment form. Amendments must include the details of the incident(s) that were not initially disclosed, relevant dates, disposition, and the reason(s) for not disclosing the information initially.
In the case of both Amendments and Updates, the burden is on the student to ensure that the amendment or update has been received and responded to by the law school.
C. Student Record Updates
Updates to student records apply to incidents that occur after initial application to the law school. A student is required to update their student record if, after applying to Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and during their legal education, an incident occurs that would have had to have been reported under one of the conduct questions on the Application for Admission. There are two exceptions to this obligation to update the school: (1) parking violations do not need to be reported; and (2) moving violations that do not involve drugs or alcohol do not need to be reported.
Note: Parking or moving violations that indicate a pattern of conduct should be disclosed. Generally, a single incident during your law school career falls within the exceptions; however, students are advised to notify the Dean of Students if they have any doubts.
Students who need to disclose incidents covered by the above must complete the online Student Record Update form and include the details of the update (including relevant dates, dispositions, etc.).
In addition to the requirement of disclosing an incident that has occurred after enrollment has commenced, the law school highly recommends discussing the incident(s) with the Dean of Students (Student Services – Room 119). Doing so allows the School to provide counseling and advice on resources and steps to consider taking. Some infractions or patterns of infractions may have an effect on bar admission. We encourage visiting with the Dean of Students about all infractions, and highly recommend you visit with the Dean of Students when an infraction(s):
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- Involves alcohol or drugs;
- Represents a pattern of conduct (including parking or moving violations);
- Involves dishonesty; or
- Involves any incident that may call into question the ability of the student to meet the essential eligibility and character and fitness requirements required for licensure in most jurisdictions. As an example, see Rule 5 of the Minnesota Rules for Admission to the Bar
In the case of both Amendments and Updates, the burden is on the student to ensure that the amendment or update has been received and responded to by the law school.