Drinking alcohol is a big part of our society. Whether it’s Champagne on New Year’s Eve, Chardonnay at Thanksgiving, beer on Super Bowl Sunday, or drinks with clients, drinking has been a way of life for thousands of years.
Considering how long people have been drinking with family, friends, and coworkers, the “drinking and driving” aspect is a fairly new concept. Of course, before we had cars and motorcycles, the worst thing that we could do was ride a horse drunk.
Now that we’re driving around thousands of pounds of steel, driving under the influence has become extremely dangerous to ourselves and others around us, and the anti-drinking and driving laws have made it nearly impossible to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
The DUI laws have tightened tremendously over the past 40 years, and these days the consequences of a DUI can affect virtually every aspect of your personal and professional life. If you are planning on attending law school, you may be wondering if a DUI conviction will bar you from practicing law.
California DUIs and Practicing Law
Let’s say you’re attending the University of California, Irvine, or California State University, Fullerton and while earning your bachelor’s degree, you were arrested for DUI. You are set to graduate college next year and you’re planning on attending law school.
You are wondering what will happen if you are convicted of DUI. Assuming you complete all of your court-ordered requirements and don’t get into any other trouble with the law, will you be allowed to sit for the bar exam if you have a DUI conviction on your record?
Yes, it is possible to become an attorney with a DUI on your record. In California, DUI is a misdemeanor and it is not considered a “crime of moral turpitude.” However, you will be required to disclose the details of your case and conviction – that is if you are convicted.
Be sure to keep the police report and all copies of the court documents – you don’t want to misplace or throw them away! The bar will want to see them at the time you apply.
If you were arrested for DUI in Orange County, the best way to avoid scrutiny from the bar’s ethics department is to avoid a conviction in the first place.
To get started fighting your DUI, contact the Law Offices of Virginia L. Landry, Inc.