"Applicant has not made any substantial payments on the loans,” the judges wrote in a terse decision and an unusual rejection of the committee’s recommendation. “Applicant has not presently established the character and general fitness requisite for an attorney and counselor-at-law.” Mr. Bowman, 47, appears to have crossed some unspoken line with his $400,000 in student debt and penalties, accumulated over many years. New York’s courts have overlooked misconduct like lawyers’ solicitation of minors for sex, efforts to deceive judges and possession of cocaine. Those instances have led merely to temporary suspensions from practice."

Aspiring Lawyer Finds Debt Is Bigger Hurdle Than Bar Exam - NYTimes.com

I’m not sure if I’m ever going to switch over to reading the Chicago Tribune. I know I haven’t lived in New York State for a while now, and have lived in Massachusetts and Arizona since then as well, but I can’t stop reading the Times.