March 1, 2012
Dear New Law Student:
The Office of Academic Assistance & Student Counseling has been advised that you are registered to attend South Texas College of Law in the Fall of 2012. We are excited about you becoming a part of our family and member of our profession.
During the admissions process, all applicants were required to disclose disciplinary action taken by any post-secondary institutions and legal matters and/or to inform the law school regarding any changes or updates to your answers in the “Fitness and Character to Study and Practice Law” Section on the Admissions Application. The accuracy of this information is vital because it will be used later to facilitate the licensing process for the practice law. Receipt of this letter does not indicate that there is a problem with your application, but serves as a reminder of the required information. If you need to disclose any of these matters, please contact Alicia Cramer, Assistant Dean of Admissions at (713) 646-1810 prior to August 13, 2012.
The questions were as follows:
- Have you ever been dropped, suspended, warned, placed on academic or disciplinary probation, disciplined, expelled, or requested or advised to resign from any post-secondary school, college, university, professional school or law school? This could include but not be limited to discipline by any professor, administrator, employee or entity representing any college, university, law school, or other institution of higher learning. Entity includes, without limitation, residential facilities or other facilities owned or managed by a college, university, law school, or other institution of higher learning.
- Have you ever been arrested, cited, or ticketed for, or charged with any violation of the law? You may exclude minor traffic violations. You must report any offenses involving alcohol or drugs, any failure to maintain motor vehicle financial responsibility (a.k.a. No Insurance or No Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance) and any offenses in which there was an attempt, whether successful or not, to suspend or revoke your driver’s license. You must report any failure to appear charges resulting from any offense.
- Have you ever been convicted of an offense, placed on probation, or granted deferred adjudication or any type of pretrial diversion, in any jurisdiction? You may exclude minor traffic violations. You must report any offenses involving alcohol or drugs, any failure to maintain motor vehicle financial responsibility (a.k.a. No Insurance or No Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance) and any offenses in which there was an attempt, whether successful or not, to suspend or revoke your driver’s license. You must report any failure to appear convictions resulting from any offense.
It is imperative that you honestly and fully answer all questions, regardless of whether you believe the information requested is relevant. Your responses on your Application are evidence of your candor and honesty. An honest “yes” answer to a question on your application is not definitive to the Law School’s assessment of your present moral character and fitness, but a dishonest “no” answer is evidence of a lack of candor and honesty, which may be definitive on the character and fitness issue.
Please note that while expunged or sealed offenses, arrest, tickets, or citations need not be disclosed it is your responsibility to ensure the offense, arrest, ticket, or citation has in fact, been expunged or sealed. Failure to reveal an offense, arrest, ticket, or citation that is not in fact expunged or sealed, raises questions related to truthfulness in addition to questions regarding the offense itself. You must report any failure to appear charge, warrant or conviction resulting from any violation of the law including traffic violations.
Failure to provide truthful answers or failure to inform the Admissions Office of any changes to your answers may result in revocation of admission or disciplinary action by the law school or denial of permission to practice law by the state in which you seek admission.
Please refer to the South Texas College of Law admissions web page for additional clarification. The duty to disclose this information is ongoing through graduation. This requires that you correct and update any information provided as necessary, but also that you disclose new incidents and events that arise after submitting the application. If any of these matters should occur after your enrollment at the law school, you must immediately notify me in writing and schedule an appointment.
We want your enrollment at the law school and your licensing process to practice law to be successful. Therefore, when in doubt you should always err on the side of full disclosure. Your attention to this matter is appreciated and will prove less troublesome to you at a future date.Best wishes,
Orgena Lewis Singleton
Assistant Dean