The Georgia Supreme Court recently ruled against the right of two law school graduates to take the state bar examination because of their failure to fully disclose previous DUI incidents and other matters on their law school applications. The Court heard the petitioners' cases in a September 12 hearing, and refused to grant the two men certificates of fitness to practice law.
In one of the cases, the petitioner -- a graduate of Atlanta's John Marshall Law School who is presently working as a law clerk for two judges -- failed to disclose three misdemeanors related to convictions or no-contest pleas to drunk driving.
"I'm disappointed in the entire process," he told the ABA Journal, adding that, "I've had the full faith and confidence of two superior court judges."
In the other case, the petitioner failed to note multiple DUI convictions on his application at Southern Illinois University, although he fully disclosed them to the Georgia state bar.
The severity of the outcomes in both cases highlights the need to for any person facing criminal charges in a DUI matter to secure prompt and diligent legal representation. People often underestimate the repercussion that a criminal conviction in their personal history can have upon their future prospects and aspirations. A number of options can become unavailable owing to a criminal record, including school admissions, entrance to the military or, as here, the opportunity to secure employment for which a person is highly trained.
Contact an experienced DUI defense attorney if you have any questions or concerns regarding a drunk driving or other traffic-related charge.
Related Resource: ABA Journal, "Two Law Grads Who Didn't Tell Schools of Full Criminal Pasts are Barred from Bar Exam" Sept. 26, 2011
