Charge letters can vary in terms of what's contained depending on the college or university involved. They can also vary depending on the specific offense that's alleged against an accused student. Charge letters can be incredibly specific. They also can be incredibly vague. Depending on the nature of the offense, Title IX sexual misconduct for example, many schools drop the ball in terms of what is contained in the charge letter or lack thereof. Seven out of 10 schools, for example, do not provide the requisite notice that the department of education, office of civil rights expects to be provided to an accused student before any interviews or meetings take place. Unfortunately, most people don't realize this. They'll go to these initial interviews and meetings and they put themselves at a terrible disadvantage from the get go.
One of the most important considerations is having an experienced attorney advisor in your corner from the beginning so that they can see what's what. See what these school's expectations are to an accused student, because schools are often in a rush to judgment. They're in a rush to move the process forward. They do not look out for an accused student's rights and interests. An experienced attorney can help level the playing field, can look out for an accused student's rights and interests and can help try to maximize the prospect of success.
