Misdemeanor and lawyer?

Question

ok i want to be a lawyer im 18 and i was arrested for a misdemeanor i pled guilty and got community hours and one year court supervision im still currently under supervision it wont be over till next year ok now im in college i changed my ways and want to be a lawyer i still have 4 years of college now its possible to expunge the misdemeanor this is good right? and now i want to be a lawyer so will the law schools find out about this misdemeanor even if it was expunged from my record? thanks for the help

Answer 1

Most states have "first offender" procedures for expunging.  You should ask the judge to withhold adjudication at the time you complete your probation.  If he won't, you should consult an attorney to help you get your record sealed in your state.  HOWEVER, you are still going to have to tell the State Bar about the arrest when you apply to become an attorney, no matter if its sealed or not.  If its truly a minor crime, it won't likely affect your ability to get admitted to the state bar (that's at least 7 years away, so the conviction will be somewhat old by that time).

I have no idea whether law schools will request your criminal history when you apply (its been a long time ago for me).

__________

EDIT RESPONSE:  I'd be shocked if a vandalism conviction would have much effect on your application - BUT DON'T LIE ABOUT IT.  Lying on your application WILL have an effect.  Just make sure the "victim" if any is compensated for any loss and note that in your statement.