Bar Admissions Questions Pertaining to Mental Health, School/Criminal History, and Financial Issues - Last Updated: February 2019

Sep 21, 2026

Compilation of bar admission application questions focused on mental health and substance use, school and criminal/disciplinary history, and financial issues. Includes selected examples of state-specific inquiry topics such as impairment affecting the ability to practice law, prior discipline or disqualification, educational or disciplinary probation, and financial obligations including credit or charge account revocations and student loan defaults. Notes that the list is not exhaustive, is updated bi-annually, and users should verify questions for their specific jurisdiction and application.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages112

Reading Time4 h 42 min

AccessFree to download

Mental Health / Substance Use

Impairments affecting the ability to practice law

School, Criminal History, and Other Disciplinary Provisions

Attorney discipline, charges, and sanctions

Educational discipline and institutional proceedings

Financial Provisions

Bonds, credit cards, and student loans

Bar Admissions Questions Pertaining to Mental Health, School/Criminal History, and Financial Issues Last Updated: February, 2019 (unless otherwise noted) The following chart is a compilation of the questions asked on bar admission questions pertaining to mental health, school/criminal history, and finances. Please note that this is NOT a comprehensive list. Given the wide variety of questions that fall into those categories, this chart only includes those subject areas that may be of the greatest interest to students. You are encouraged to review the bar exam application you are interested in to confirm the full scope of what is asked on that application. This chart is updated bi‐ annually, but you must still check the questions applicable in your jurisdiction as this list may not be up to date or exhaustive. By publishing this information, the Bazelon Center is not endorsing or commenting on the quality or legality of any of these questions. This document is provided for informational purposes only. This chart is an updated version of the 2017 chart produced by Yale Law School available here: [https://law.yale.edu/system/fi](https://law.yale.edu/system/fi)les/area/department/cdo/document/50 state survey ‐ bar exams and mental health ‐ fall 2017. pdf. | State | Mental Health/ Substance Use Provisions | School, Criminal History, and Other Disciplinary Provisions | Financial Provisions | Links | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | NCBE
The following jurisdictions utilize NCBE without supplemental questions:
DC, LA, MT, NM, NC, ND, TN, VT, WV, WY
The following jurisdictions utilize NCBE, but have an additional supplemental application: HI, OH, OK, SD | Question 30: Do you currently have any condition or impairment (including, but not limited to, substance abuse, alcohol abuse, ora mental, emotional, or nervous disorder or condition) that in anyway affects your ability to practice law in a competent, ethical, and professional manner? Note: In this context,"currently" means recently enough that the condition or impairment could reasonably affect your ability to function as a lawyer. Are the limitations caused by your condition or impairment reduced or ameliorated because you | Question 10: Have you ever been disbarred, suspended, censured, or otherwise reprimanded or disqualified as an attorney?
Question 11: Have you ever been the subject of any charges, complaints or grievances (formal or informal) concerning your conduct as an attorney, including any now pending?
Question 12: Have you ever been the subject of any charges, complaints, or grievances (formal or informal) alleging that you engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, including any now pending?
Question 13: Have sanctions ever been entered against you, or have you ever been disqualified from participating in any case?
Question 16: Have you ever been dropped, suspended, warned, placed on scholastic or disciplinary probation, expelled, requested to resign, allowed to resign in lieu of discipline, otherwise subjected to discipline, or requested to discontinue your studies by any law school?
Question 18: Have you ever been dropped, suspended, warned, placed on scholastic or disciplinary probation, expelled, requested to resign, or allowed to resign in lieu of discipline from any college or university? | Question 28: Has any surety on any bond on which you were the principal been required to pay any money on your behalf?
Question 38: Have you ever had a credit card or charge account revoked that was not resolved in bankruptcy?
Question 39: Have you ever defaulted on a student loan? | Sample NCBE Character and Fitness application (general)
Character and fitness guidelines | Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law | | receive ongoing treatment or because you participate in a monitoring or support program?
Question 31: Within the past five years, have you asserted any condition or impairment as a defense, in mitigatio

FAQs

What mental health or impairment issues are bar admission applications likely to ask about?

They may ask whether you currently have an impairment or condition (including substance or mental/emotional/nervous disorders) that could affect your ability to practice law competently and ethically. They may also ask about defenses, mitigation, or explanations asserted within the past five years.

What kinds of school or disciplinary history questions commonly appear?

Questions can include whether you were disbarred, suspended, censured, reprimanded, disqualified, or otherwise sanctioned as an attorney. They may also cover whether you faced disciplinary actions in college or university, including probation, expulsion, or requests to resign.

What financial issues might be included in character and fitness questionnaires?

Financial inquiries may include whether surety bonds required you to pay money, whether a credit card or charge account was revoked without resolution in bankruptcy, and whether you defaulted on a student loan.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Aria Callaghan