I was shocked. I applied in early June or late May, and when I got back from vacation, in the mailbox was a letter saying I was a member of the Supreme Court Bar.
There are so many people now in law school that have felony convictions and misdemeanor convictions. So many people are graduating from law school and getting admitted to state bars that I kind of feel a duty. If it were up to me, I’d have just got admitted and been quiet about it and not made a big deal about it.
It bothers me that I have to explain the worst thing I did from 20 years ago every time I wanted to be admitted. At some point I just want to be recognized as a lawyer.
— Professor Shon Hopwood of Georgetown Law, commenting on his recent admission to the U.S. Supreme Court bar. Hopwood formerly served time in federal prison for bank robbery, and later went to law school and became a law professor. He now hopes to argue a criminal case involving the “compassionate release” component of the First Step Act before the high court.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked 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.