What is The Requisite Character and Fitness To Practice Law?
Good Moral Character and Fitness, in Michigan is a set of characteristics for the public and business conduct that guides lawyers in the ethical and moral decisions that they make in their day-to-day practice. It requires the applicant to be competent and diligent in work habits. It is a broadly defined and vague standard designed to give the State Bar of Michigan to ability to examine all aspects of an applicants life where ability, diligence, ethics and conduct may be observed and judged.
The most important thing to know, is that your Character and Fitness, in Michigan is based on who you are today. It is not a measure of who you were in high school or college necessarily. It is not about your resume or how perfectly you live your life. It is about your current competence, honesty, integrity, wellness, self-enrichment and confidence in yourself.
Your competence is measured in the testing. It is more or less a bright line standard with a few notable exceptions. Honesty and integrity start with your law school application. Any misrepresentation, even of a minor nature, that becomes apparent in the application process that shows up in your licensing application will flag your file for review. So, when you apply for law school, come clean. Better to over-disclose than under-disclose any activity requested.
As you finish law school, you will begin to gather information for the State Bar of Michigan application. This is no small effort as it requires detailed background information going back into your teenage years. You must be as detailed and open as possible in your disclosure. Do not guess about answers. You should look at all records regarding factual representations you make in the application if you are not 100% certain of the answer. This calls not just on your honesty but your integrity by being thorough in researching your answers.
Good Moral Character and Fitness, in Michigan is a set of characteristics for the public and business conduct that guides lawyers in the ethical and moral decisions that they make in their day-to-day practice. It requires the applicant to be competent and diligent in work habits. It is a broadly defined and vague standard designed to give the State Bar of Michigan to ability to examine all aspects of an applicants life where ability, diligence, ethics and conduct may be observed and judged.
The most important thing to know, is that your Character and Fitness, in Michigan is based on who you are today. It is not a measure of who you were in high school or college necessarily. It is not about your resume or how perfectly you live your life. It is about your current competence, honesty, integrity, wellness, self-enrichment and confidence in yourself.
Your competence is measured in the testing. It is more or less a bright line standard with a few notable exceptions. Honesty and integrity start with your law school application. Any misrepresentation, even of a minor nature, that becomes apparent in the application process that shows up in your licensing application will flag your file for review. So, when you apply for law school, come clean. Better to over-disclose than under-disclose any activity requested.
As you finish law school, you will begin to gather information for the State Bar of Michigan application. This is no small effort as it requires detailed background information going back into your teenage years. You must be as detailed and open as possible in your disclosure. Do not guess about answers. You should look at all records regarding factual representations you make in the application if you are not 100% certain of the answer. This calls not just on your honesty but your integrity by being thorough in researching your answers.
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