Court Says Ex-Felon and Activist ‘Morally Fit’ to be Lawyer

A nurse who excelled in law school after a prison term for serious drug and weapons charges was wrongly denied the opportunity to take the bar exam, the Washington Supreme Court held April 5.

The ruling was a judicial rarity: a published decision that overturns a state bar’s determination that a prospective lawyer lacks the “character and fitness” necessary for admission.

“Today, we affirm the principles that for purposes of bar admission, a moral character inquiry is determined on an individualized basis and that there is no categorical exclusion of an applicant who has a criminal or substance abuse history,” ...