Can an Ex-Felon Become a Lawyer?

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If you are an ex-felon who is looking for a good career you may want to consider becoming a lawyer. There are only a few states that will not allow an ex-felon to become a lawyer, so if you live in one of the other states it can be a great career choice. This is especially true for those who have served their time and want to help others. Some ex-felons are drawn to becoming a lawyer, because of the experience of what they went through.

Those who have been convicted of a crime know all too well how important a good lawyer can be to the case. If you have great lawyer representation there is a good chance you will not be convicted. Great lawyers know how to present the case, ask questions, and will leave no stone unturned. Unfortunately, many ex-felons didn’t have great lawyers, which may have been detrimental to their case. This is often a motivation for them to become a lawyer once they have served their time.

States that Forbid Ex-Felons from Being a Lawyer

There are 50 states in America, each with their own set of laws, and one federal government that provides some of the laws of the land. There are only three states that will not allow ex-felons to become lawyers. These three states are Mississippi, Texas, and Kansas. They have laws against people who have been convicted of a felony becoming a layer.

If you live in one of the other 47 states you are in luck. The other states in the country allow ex-felons to become a lawyer. If you are already a lawyer and have been convicted of a felony then you may be issued disciplinary action from your state bar association. They have the ability to disbar you, put a suspension on your license to practice, etc.

If you convict a felony while you are a lawyer there will likely be some type of consequences with your bar association. This doesn’t mean you will automatically lose your license and not be able to be a lawyer. The bar association will likely review what has happened and then take action, depending on the details and severity of the case. Do not assume you will automatically lose your license. You will have to see what the bar does in response to the felony conviction.

Those who live in a state that doesn’t allow ex-felons to become lawyers may want to consider moving if they are passionate about it. If you have your heart set on being a lawyer, it may be time to think about moving to another state.

How an Ex-Felon Can Become a Lawyer

If you are an ex-felony and live in one of the 47 states that don’t forbid ex-felons from being lawyers, you can move forward with becoming one. The first thing you will need to do is go to law school. Apply to the law schools in your area or that you are interested in attending. You will need to fill out information about yourself so they can make a decision as to whether or not you will be accepted into their program.

The law school programs will ask if you have ever been convicted of a felony. This is the time to be completely honest with them. Do not try to hide or deny the fact that you have a felony conviction. If you do, it can come back to ruin your chances of getting into law school. Be honest in telling the school that you are an ex-felon, and provide them the details regarding what you did to be convicted.

You may want to consider writing a letter to the admissions department, or whoever will be making the decision on who gets accepted into the law school program. Take the time to explain your position, and why you want to become a lawyer. Let them know that the felony conviction doesn’t define who you are and that you want to succeed as a lawyer despite it. Give them the chance to get to know who you are and what your plans are.

Law schools are looking for students who are hard working, dedicated, and have a passion for becoming an attorney. They want to make sure you are of good moral character, which is something that is needed to be a lawyer. As a lawyer, you will spend time advising and presenting others, so they want to make sure they choose students who will make good candidates at doing that.

More about Becoming a Lawyer

Not only is being a lawyer a good career for those who want to help people, but it is also a lucrative one. The average lawyer makes around $128,000 per year, which is higher than the average in the country. You do have to have a professional degree in order to become a lawyer, so plan on attending law school to see the plans through. Once you finish law school you will have to take the bar exam in order to move forward with getting your license to practice law.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that lawyer jobs are growing at a faster pace than average, which means there should be good job opportunities in the field once you finish law school and pass the bar exam. The majority of lawyers, however, work for themselves in private offices. This is good news, because you will have the ability to choose to work for someone in a corporate office, or choose to set up your own law practice and work for yourself.

Ex-felons who become lawyers and apply for jobs at corporate law offices will need to share with them that they have had a prior felony conviction. Some law offices may have a policy against hiring ex-felons, but there will be some that are open to hiring ex-felons. This is another situation where you want to be honest in answering the questions about the felony conviction.