Can You Become a Lawyer with a Felony Conviction?

Everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes involve the law. If one of your mistakes has led to a felony conviction, you may think that you have no hope of a new career in the legal field. Actually, you do. Although becoming a lawyer is more challenging after a felony conviction, it’s not impossible. If you’ve been thinking about a career in law, here is what you need to know.

Yes, But it Depends on the State

Where you wish to practice law will impact the rules you must follow to do so after a felony conviction. Every state has different laws about when a former felon may practice law. In Kansas and Missouri, for instance, you must wait until five years after finishing your sentence to become an attorney. In Oregon, you can become a lawyer after a felony unless convicted of a crime for which a lawyer could be disbarred. As of 2019, only the United States’ territories of Palau and the Northern Mariana Islands absolutely prohibit former felons from becoming lawyers unless granted a full pardon.

Expect Some Difficulties

Although you can practice law after a felony, you will have to overcome certain obstacles. Many states will require you to wait several years after your conviction to get your law license. Others may require that you have your civil rights fully restored before practicing law. Every state requires lawyers to pass a moral character examination and yours may be more rigorous than others. You’ll likely need to provide character references along with evidence that you’re actively working towards improving yourself. This may mean doing volunteer work or proving you’ve been spending some time improving yourself with a therapist or counselor. If your conviction stemmed from substance abuse, the state bar could ask you to present evidence of time spent in rehab.

Law Career Options for Ex-Felons

Where you wish to practice law matters, but so will the area of law you wish to enter. Certain areas of law may be harder to enter for felons with certain convictions. If convicted of fraud or forgery, for instance, you may have a better chance of practicing family law than becoming a bankruptcy or real estate attorney. 

People think of becoming a lawyer as a lucrative career path, but the truth is that potential income varies significantly. For example, most personal injury lawyers don’t ask for upfront fees, instead taking a percentage of the settlement amount or jury award. Consider this when mulling over a law career post felony conviction. 

You could find yourself working quite hard to gain acceptance as a lawyer only to land in a job that pays less than you were expecting. If a law career is truly where your heart is, however, you can still make it happen with some time and dedication.

Building up a career is an important step in creating a new and successful life. But doing it alone can be a challenge. Be sure to check Nolef Turns for job fairs and other events!

3 Tips for Maintaining a Class A CDL License

You have put significant time and effort into obtaining your Class A CDL license. You are proud, and you appreciate the stability, skill, and freedom it provides you. Though you are responsible, there are still some things to keep in mind when it comes to maintaining your license. Sometimes, it can be easy to forget the details. Read on to learn tips for maintaining your A CDL license.

Keep Yourself Clean

Keeping yourself clean is perhaps the most important thing you can do to maintain your Class A CD License. Avoid any illegal substance before work and while you are driving your vehicle, including all illegal drugs. Keep traces of these elements out of your system in case you have a drug test. Even prescription and other legal substances can affect the ability to perform your job duties, such as prescribed muscle relaxers or even cough medicine that is overstimulating or makes your sleepy. If you are ever in doubt, ask your supervisor. 

Keep a Clean Driving Record

One of the most important things you can do to maintain your Class A CDL license is to maintain a clean driving record. A clean record is one that is free of accidents, moving violations or points. There are many habits that you can develop to help prevent such incidents. Do not text and drive. If you need to text then pull over, in a legal way, and then text. Texting and driving is distracted driving and one of the highest causes of car accidents. Practicing safe truck driving habits can save your license, your job, and your life.

Proper Sleep Habits

Falling asleep at the wheel is one of the major causes of accidents in the United States. As a truck driver, it can be extremely difficult to develop a consistent sleep schedule, but consistent sleep is not only going to help prevent incidents and maintain your Class A CDL License but it also helps prevents heart attacks and you will feel better.

All three of these tips mentioned are for your own benefit, but more importantly, implementing them can save the lives of the people around you. So if you are ever tempted or unsure if something you want to do is a good idea or not, then err on the side of caution, because it just isn’t worth the risk. There can be lasting consequences for the choices you make.