Ethics

In light of our recent discussion about whether John Edwards is fit to practice law, this New York Times story caught my eye.  It describes the remarkable transformation of a bank robber into a highly skilled author of legal briefs.  He is now applying to law school, and I wondered whether he will have trouble getting past the state bar's character and fitness inquiry.  I know that there's all sorts of law on the issue of a bar applicant's criminal history, but I'm curious if people believe that this former bank robber is more or less capable of practicing law honestly than John Edwards. 

As I mentioned in a comment to the earlier post, I would not vote to disbar Edwards, because I don't believe that his conduct reflects on his ability to practice law honestly.  For similar reasons, I would let the bank robber become a lawyer, because I don't think this particular person's past criminal history tells me much about how he's likely to behave as a lawyer going forward.