Reginald Dwayne Betts: Lawyer

Back in August we reported on poet, scholar, and now lawyer, Reginald Dwayne Betts, whose "fitness of character" was questioned by the Connecticut bar and  subsequently denied admission. The good news reached us on Friday that the bar has now given Betts the go-ahead to practice law in Connecticut. The Hartford Courant reports:

A former inmate who graduated from Yale Law School last summer has received the greenlight to practice in Connecticut.

Reginald Dwayne Betts was admitted to the bar on Friday after a meeting with the state’s examining committee.

“He is gratified with the action of the committee, and he looks forward to continuing the work he’s been doing, only this time as a lawyer where he can be more effective than he’s been,” said William F. Dow III, the New Haven-based attorney who represented Betts in this matter. “He’s grateful to the many people who’ve helped him, especially a significant number of inmates, who don’t even know him, but who appreciate what he’s done and the hope that he’s given to them.”

Last month, Betts’ application to the bar was given pause due to a felony conviction for carjacking in Virginia when he was a teen.

Our congratulations go out to Betts! Read on at the Hartford Courant. And as luck would have it, Betts's episode of PoetryNow went live this morning, so head here to give "Temptation of the Rope" a listen.