In re Application of Worthy

Summary

The Supreme Court of Ohio disapproved Michele Yulana Worthy's application to take the bar examination after finding that she had a recent felony-theft conviction and had failed to disclose academic misconduct on her law-school and bar-admission applications. The court permitted her to reapply for the July 2014 bar examination, subject to a new character-and-fitness investigation.

Holdings

1. Worthy failed to sustain her burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that she currently possessed the requisite character, fitness, and moral qualifications for admission to the practice of law in Ohio.
2. The court disapproved Worthy's pending application to take the February 2013 bar examination but permitted her to reapply for the July 2014 examination, subject to a new character-and-fitness investigation.

Questions Presented

1. Whether Worthy demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that she currently possessed the requisite character, fitness, and moral qualifications for admission to the Ohio bar.
2. Whether Worthy's recent felony-theft conviction and failure to disclose academic misconduct on her law-school and bar-admission applications constituted a significant deficiency in honesty, trustworthiness, diligence, or reliability warranting disapproval of her application.

Disposition

disapproved