Question about law school application?

i am a senior at rutgers university and applying to law schools right now. on the applications it asks whether you have been arrested, convicted, etc.; however, i have not been convicted.. i have been arrested and it was a misdeamenor that occurred last year of me shop-lifting. it was a stupid mistake i made once and it was at a rite-aid pharmacy. i stole about $40 worth of make-up. the security guard caught up and called the police and i gave back all the stuff. i apologized and i was very obedient to what they told me to do. when the police came they wrote me up then i went to the police station and they had me fingerprinted and they told me i would be getting a court date notice in the mail and i was free to go. i got the notice and i went to the court hired a lawyer, and the first 2 court dates they did not have sufficient information.. i also contacted the rite-aid security guy and apologized, so he was on my side too, but unfortunately he could not drop the charges because the whole company rite-aid cannot do that. i paid a restitution fee to rite-aid, about $100.. then my next court date the lawyer told the judge i have a clean record, in which i do, and the judge made me swear on it so i did and the case was dismissed, but i had to pay a state fee of $400. what would i write on my law school application? i was arrested but it was downgraded to a state fee and the case was dismissed. please help, because i really have no idea whether i should explain the whole story or what to do. i was of course arrested, i was not in handcuffs, but when the police got my fingerprints it was considered an 'arrest'..it does say to give dates and cite where the locations and court dates were. please help...

ask the lawyer you represented you and knows the facts how you should answer

you should fill out yes for arrested and you can always attach an addendum and explain if you wish.

If it is found out you lied, you could be expelled, or kept from taking the bar exam which allows you to practice(which is the point of going to law school usually.

you won't be denied entry for shoplifting, but don't lie or it can catch up to you later.

If they ask for an arrest then list the arrest. If it says "conviction" that's a different story. You don't want to be denied into the school for lying and shoplifting won't keep you out. I know people who got into law school with much worse than that on their records.

Your story is a little odd. You say you were required to pay a "state fee" of $400 but the case was dismissed. I don't pretend to know NJ law, but it is unlikely you would have had to pay a fee if the case was indeed dismissed, but maybe your lawyer worked out some sort of a deal where you paid a fee (or fine) and still got the dismissal.

First, realize that a criminal record (namely a conviction) could theoretically make it hard for you to get licensed to practice law. One case of shoplifting when you were a kid probably would not keep you from getting your license, but you should talk to the lawyer who represented you to get the facts straight so you know how to answer the question accurately. It would really suck to spend three years working hard in law school only to later discover that you actually were convicted and that the conviction would prevent you from getting a license.

Also, read the question carefully. If it does request information about arrests (not just convictions) and only asks for what the result of the arrest was, then you can answer the question simply (as long as it's accurate): "I was arrested and charged with shoplifting about $40 worth of merchandise from a store, but the charges were dropped." You need not admit to the crime, as you did here, unless the question requires you to tell the whole story.

I would inform them. Many schools are forgiving of little mistakes. It is better now than later on becuase Many bar associaitons which is the exam you must take to practice will suspend you for a period of time if you have ever been arrested even without a conviction. If you dont inform the school now, they find out with the bar you are in bigger trouble.