Past FBI Polygraph Failure and Future Law Career

[artorias315]

Hey, first time on posting, so not sure whether this is the correct place for this topic.

Five years ago, straight out of college, graduated with honors, never took drugs, never was arrested, investigated, or charged with any crime, still squeaky clean to this day, I applied for a position with the FBI Police. Got a conditional job offer after the first interview. Unfortunately, I failed their polygraph test. Terrible and traumatizing experience which I won't get into here. Fast forward five years an now I'm in law school. Got a clerkship offer with a state judge and everything. Going to be taking the state bar soon. Was wondering how an FBI polygraph failure would affect becoming a lawyer and working for the state. Lawyers get a background check by the state bar examiner, going through state police and FBI criminal check.

So my question is would the failed polygraph test even come up to apply for a state position? Should I even mention it in the bar application? And if I should, how should I go about explaining it? And just advice in general. 

[George W. Maschke]

Your FBI Police application falls under the protections of the Privacy Act. Information regarding it, including your polygraph results, should not be released to non-federal agencies.

Unless the bar application includes any specific questions about polygraphs, I see no point in mentioning it.