Convict to Courtroom: Betts Approved to Practice Law in Connecticut

An attorney and his client. Photo: Shutterstock

In 2005, 16-year-old Reginald Dwayne Betts was involved in a carjacking at a Virginia Mall. He was found guilty and served eight years in prison.

While this may seem like the end of the story, in this case it’s anything but.

In the years since his release, Betts has gone on to college at the University of Maryland, won a Harvard University fellowship, graduated with a degree in law from Yale, and passed the Connecticut bar exam.

He also wrote two books of poetry and a memoir about his experiences coming of age in the prison system.

But when the Connecticut Bar Examining Committee reviewed Betts’ request to be approved to practice law in Connecticut, his file was flagged because a felony conviction creates the presumption that the applicant lacks “good moral character and/or fitness to practice law.”

Betts’ case drew national attention, even inspiring an editorial in the New York Times calling on the bar association to approve him.

“His incredible life is proof that a person can truly rehabilitate himself,” wrote the Times editorial board. “But the Connecticut bar is sending the opposite message: that a felony is a life sentence.” 

Betts also received massive support from people speaking and writing on his behalf, with letters submitted to the examining committee from an array of people including inmates, judges, and professors.

After the public outcry, the Connecticut Bar Examining Committee recommended Betts for admission to the state bar. The next step in his becoming an attorney is a swearing-in ceremony in a Connecticut court.

“I think that his story is a remarkable story,” said former Connecticut Judge Anne Dranginis, chairwoman of the Bar Examining Committee. “Mr. Betts demonstrated his commitment to others who may have lost their way. He has a great deal to offer, in addition to what he has already done.” 

“I’m happy that they made that decision,” Betts told US News. “I’m just grateful for the huge amount of support people gave me.”

Betts has been working on a doctorate in law at Yale. He says he would like to become a law professor one day. He has a clerkship next year with Judge Theodore McKee at the appeals court in Philadelphia, and he recently finished an internship in the New Haven public defender’s office.