Law Schools

What Happens When You Never Should've Been Admitted To Law School In The First Place?

This is so upsetting.

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Welcome back to Foreseeable Harm, a series where we take a look at some of the most appalling law school horror stories, straight from the law school trenches. These are real emails and messages we’ve received from real readers. Take a look at today’s tale of law school woe:

Before applying to law school, I had a serious criminal record that included a conviction for felony threats. I had spent time in mental institutions multiple times. All this was disclosed on law school applications. Out of the seven law schools I applied to, only one admitted me.

A week into my semester in August of 2003, I withdrew because of my mental health.

I applied again in 2006, making the same disclosures. They admitted me and granted me an even more generous merit-based scholarship. My first year, my grades were poor. I was ostracized by my classmates many of whom believed (incorrectly) that I was dangerous because of my criminal past. Despite my criminal record, I am harmless. So in addition to my mental disabilities, my grades were affected were affected by stress from the way I was treated. I lost my scholarship and paid for the balance of my education in student loans.

I graduated in 2009 with approximately $150,000 in student loan debt and in the bottom 25% of the class. I passed the bar exam on a second try. The Board of Bar Examiners met with me for 20 minutes, but relied on a letter from my psychiatrist that I was competent to practice law. They did not request actual treatment records. I was granted a law license. They warned me not to go into solo practice, but that is precisely what I did in a desperate attempt to repay my enormous student loan debt.

I became overwhelmed with my law practice and had another mental breakdown and once again got into legal trouble. Specifically, a cousin of a high school friend was on trial for a murder, and I believed (delusionally) that I could help his cause by getting rid of his court file. I was prosecuted and served two years of probation after which I was suspended. My legal career lasted a mere five months.

Currently, I work part-time as a paralegal and collect disability. My student loans were, luckily, discharged in bankruptcy. So, this law school horror story actually began with their decision to admit me.

What’s your law school horror story? You know you have one, so feel free to email us (subject line: “Law School Horror Story”) or text us (646-820-8477) and tell us all about it. We may feature some of them here in an upcoming post on Above the Law.

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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