Dbl15

One of my best friends during my first year of law school was a convicted felon, so it's possible. I'm sure you're aware, but it's going to be much more difficult for you than it would otherwise be. You'll face challenges getting into law school, and then getting admitted to the bar.

To give you an idea, I did my first year at the University of Idaho (transferred after that). UI Law is a third-tier school, ranked somewhere near 100 (it is actually a really good school, rankings are stupid). My felon friend scored 172 on his LSAT and had a 4.0 in undergrad - Harvard/Yale credentials. Of the 15-20 schools to which he applied, only UI accepted him. Now he has to face the bar's character and fitness committee, and if they let him in, it will probably be provisional for about 5 years.

It's awesome that you have a goal, and I encourage you to pursue it. Just be aware that you will have to work extremely hard to do it. Law school/bar stuff is hard enough without a criminal record.

Suggestions to help your law school aspirations: get a STEM undergrad degree to distinguish yourself from the hordes of poli-sci majors (me). Study for the LSAT seriously - don't think you can look at a prep book for a few days and do well enough. Take writing classes to learn basic rules, but don't get too attached to your writing style because you'll be forced to change it. Read Getting to Maybe if/when you get accepted. Work hard.

No problem. Feel free to PM me if you have questions about school. I just graduated and applied for the bar, so the horrors are pretty fresh.

Edit: I forgot to mention - even if you get your record expunged, you will likely be required to report it on your application for school and the bar. They want just about all of your info short of a DNA test and blood draw.

Add faulty public defense systems in some jurisdictions to the list. A bad public defender program can do serious damage to indigent defendants.

Writing to thank you all for the work you do; it is incredibly important. I was exposed to the Rocky Mountain Innocence Center as a 2L, and it made me decide to forego a corporate drone career in favor of public criminal defense. I hope to join the ranks of public defenders (good ones) this fall, and hope even more that I will be able to help the actually innocent at some point. Keep fighting the good fight.