First A Three-Day Bar Exam, Then A Grueling Character Inquiry

A law school grad’s ability to practice is often determined by the character and fitness test that comes after the bar exam, and is in some ways even more taxing. Bar applicants must fill out a long questionnaire in which they are asked to disclose any arrests, academic misconduct charges, job losses, traffic tickets, bankruptcies and in some cases mental health histories. Even minor misconduct can initiate an investigation and possibly a hearing. Attempts to investigate mental health backgrounds resulted in a warning against discrimination from the DOJ in 2014.