Character & Fitness Disclosures
If you answer “yes” to any question in the Character and Fitness section of a law school application, you’ll need to write a brief statement, called an addendum, addressing each incident. Not all schools will ask the questions in the same way or for the same disclosures, but many schools (including MSU Law) require disclosure of every legal/disciplinary event above the level of a parking ticket. This includes all vehicular moving violations.
If you need to submit an addendum, here’s what you need to do: Be honest. Be succinct. Disclose.
That means you need to do 3 things:
- Acknowledge the incident(s).
- Provide the info requested - usually location, date, and outcome (final disposition).
- Accept responsibility.
A character and fitness addendum won’t necessarily impact your admissions decision. But failure to disclose or amend inaccuracies could be a problem when you apply to a state bar. The state bar could request a copy of your law school application, and any omissions from your law school application might instigate an investigation. Better to disclose now than have to deal with it in 3 years.
Finally, if you have any questions about what to submit regarding any incident(s), please reach out to the Office of Admissions for guidance.