How to Draft a Character and Fitness Addendum

For many aspiring law students, disclosing a past mistake on an application can feel overwhelming. However, a criminal record or any other Character & Fitness concerns do not automatically end your legal career. Law school admissions committees review applications with a holistic approach, not just focusing on one incident from the student’s past. For this reason, it is important to fully and honestly disclose the situations in a way that allows you to take accountability, while simultaneously demonstrating growth from the mistake. 

What is Character and Fitness?

The Character & Fitness section on a law school application is a series of background questions used to evaluate the candidate’s honesty and ethical background. Even unintentional omissions or technical errors in this section can completely stop the review of an application, risking immediate denial if not promptly and strategically corrected. In reviewing these applications, law schools take into account the severity and recency of the disclosed information. 

While every law school will contain  a Character and Fitness sections, the requirements may be worded differently for each school. Details such as the type of offenses that must be disclosed and the timeframe of the incidents vary across schools. Students should carefully read each school’s section and disclose what is required of them. If there is any uncertainty as to whether something may apply to you, it is best to get in contact with the schools and ask them directly. 

Why is the Character & Fitness section important?

While disclosing this information may raise concern, law schools typically are not using these questions as reasons to deny applicants. Instead, disclosing this information tactfully is the first step in your goal of becoming a licensed attorney. Many state bar associations will request copies of your law school applications to ensure that there are no significant changes in your answers. 

While law schools are educational institutions, they also have a responsibility to admit students who are prepared to enter the legal profession. The Character & Fitness section helps admissions committees evaluate whether applicants demonstrate the honesty, judgment, and professionalism expected of future attorneys. If any portion of your application raises concern about your future eligibility, law schools will typically request more information to understand the circumstance in its entirety. 

How to Write the Character & Fitness Addendum

With each incident you disclose, you must also include a one-page addendum. The purpose of the addendum is to provide relevant context to the situation and explain how you have grown from the situation. An effective addendum is honest  and states the facts. It requires applicants to strike a balance between a vague explanation and an overexplanation. 

It is often the case that students feel the need to explain away behavior, pointing to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, external factors, or peer-pressure to explain character and fitness issues. The problem with this approach is that, to the law school admissions committee, your application is just one of thousands that they need to work through each cycle. Providing explanations that do not take accountability for your actions really just amounts to making excuses in the eyes of someone who has never met you, and is making their determination about whether to admit you based on a paper application. 

Instead, it is wise to be brief and straightforward, while taking responsibility for whatever Character and Fitness issue you are describing. The fact of the matter is that no one is perfect, we all make mistakes, and it is better (and more respectable) to own them and use your addendum to point to ways in which you've grown from the experience and moved past whatever you are describing. Whether you are describing a speeding ticket, underage consumption of alcohol, or something more serious, people appreciate candor and humility, and taking responsibility for your actions while describing how you've moved forward since goes a long way in making the case that you are a great candidate for a law school's J.D. program. 

At JurisPrep, we frequently advise clients on how to write compelling Character and Fitness addenda. If you are struggling with how to describe a Character and Fitness issue, or just want general advice, help, and guidance on your law school applications, book a free consultation anytime. To learn more about Admissions Consulting with JurisPrep, click here.