Tips for Navigating the Character and Fitness Process

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Unlock the Bar is made up of and/or work alongside countless people who have faced obstacles like the ones you are facing. Please feel free to connect to the Justice Impact Alliance (www.justiceimpactalliance.org) or Unlock the Bar (unlockthebar@gmail.com) and you can join Unlock the Bar here.

Advice from a Coalition Attorney:

Roland Acevedo is a formerly incarcerated New York attorney who has worked to advise people through the Character and Fitness process for over 25 years. He had these tips for folks with records going through the process.

  1. If you have a record, the single most important thing to submit on your C&F application is the statement explaining your contact with the criminal justice system.

    1. That statement has to be forthright and not attempt to minimize any criminal conduct, while at the same time you have to try to convince the Committee that you’re a “changed” / “repentant” person.

  2. For those applying to law school now, and those currently in law school: The Committee will almost always have your law school application too, which will usually also include an explanation of the criminal conduct. 

    1. This is where most applicants struggle. The two statements often do not match up—there are omissions or additional facts, etc. Though this is natural due to time, the Committee always hones in on discrepancies in any old/new statements.

  3. Although you may not need an attorney to move through the Committee, if your case gets kicked up to the subcommittee, you will want an attorney.

    1. An attorney cannot properly assist someone with drafting a statement to the Committee without first seeing the law school application(s), their full records, and any accusatory instruments that were issued in connection with the criminal conduct (complaint, indictments, etc.).

    2. If you have a record that involves some form of violence or weapons you will almost certainly get kicked up to a subcommittee.

  4. If you have what you might consider a complicated case, you’ll want to hire an experienced attorney. You can reach Roland at legal@rracevedolaw.com.