If you're a student or the parent of a student at a college or university in Minnesota, and you're charged with a code of conduct or disciplinary violation, you should not take the matter lightly. Do not make the mistake of believing what some schools will describe as an educational opportunity. A code of conduct or disciplinary case can have serious potential consequences with respect to academic goals such as internships, and graduate school and professional goals, including employment opportunities.
Regardless of how you first learn of the allegations, whether it's from the Office of Student Conduct, a professor, an athletic coach, the campus police, respectfully declining to discuss the case before you take the necessary precautions is often critical to success. You must understand how your school will investigate and adjudicate the case. To do so, you must familiarize yourself with the applicable policies and procedures. All schools will conduct an investigation, and regardless of whether your school will decide responsibility based solely on the investigation or will do so at a hearing, you must present the necessary defense and response.
Notice is an issue at many schools, so you must clearly define the allegations. You must then present your version of events and support it through all necessary means, including relevant evidence, supporting witnesses, and anything else appropriate to the circumstances. At schools that decide responsibility at a hearing, you must prepare for the hearing, which would in part include preparing an opening statement, relevant questions for parties and witnesses, a closing statement, and so forth.
You must also bear in mind that schools do not have an accused student's rights and interests in mind, so ensuring a fair process is critical to achieving a favorable outcome. You do not want to find yourself in the position of having to appeal an adverse outcome and sanctions because you failed to take effective steps throughout the case. Having an experienced attorney advisor will be your best ally to help you understand and navigate the code of conduct disciplinary process at your college or university of Minnesota, and they should be involved from as early as possible in the case.
Minnesota colleges and universities where Joseph D. Lento can help as your or your student's code of conduct disciplinary violation advisor during investigations, hearings, and appeals include, but are not limited to, the following schools:
- Academy College
- Alexandria Technical & Community College
- Anoka Technical College
- Anoka Ramsey Community College
- Argosy University Twin Cities
- Augsburg College
- Bemidji State University
- Bethany Lutheran College
- Bethel University
- Brown College Brooklyn Center
- Brown College Mendota Heights
- Capella University
- Carleton College
- Central Lakes College Brainerd
- Century Community and Technical College
- College of Saint Benedict
- College of Visual Arts
- Concordia College at Moorhead
- Concordia University Saint Paul
- Crossroads College
- Crown College Saint
- Dakota County Technical College
- DeVry University Minnesota
- Duluth Business University
- Dunwoody College of Technology
- Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
- Globe University Minneapolis
- Globe University Woodbury
- Gustavus Adolphus College
- Hamline University
- Hennepin Technical College
- Herzing University Minneapolis
- Hibbing Community College A Technical and Community College
- Institute of Production and Recording
- Inver Hills Community College
- Itasca Community College
- ITT Technical Institute Brooklyn Center
- ITT Technical Institute Eden Prairie
- Lake Superior College
- Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis
- Macalester College
- Martin Luther College
- McNally Smith College of Music
- Mesabi Range Community and Technical College
- Metropolitan State University
- Minneapolis Business College
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design
- Minneapolis Community and Technical College
- Minnesota School of Business Blaine
- Minnesota School of Business Brooklyn Center
- Minnesota School of Business Elk River
- Minnesota School of Business Lakeville
- Minnesota School of Business Moorhead
- Minnesota School of Business Plymouth
- Minnesota School of Business Richfield
- Minnesota School of Business Rochester
- Minnesota School of Business Shakopee
- Minnesota School of Business Waite Park
- Minnesota State College Southeast Technical
- Minnesota State Community and Technical College
- Minnesota State University Moorhead
- Minnesota State University Mankato
- Minnesota West Community and Technical College
- National American University Bloomington
- National American University Brooklyn Center
- National American University Roseville
- Normandale Community College
- North Central University
- North Hennepin Community College
- Northland Community and Technical College
- Northwest Technical College
- Northwest Technical Institute
- Northwestern College
- Northwestern Health Sciences University
- Oak Hills Christian College
- Pine Technical College
- Rainy River Community College
- Ridgewater College
- Riverland Community College
- Rochester Community and Technical College
- Saint Cloud State University
- Saint John's University
- Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
- Saint Paul College A Community and Technical College
- South Central College
- Southwest Minnesota State University
- St. Catherine University
- St. Cloud Technical and Community College
- St. Olaf College
- The Art Institutes International Minnesota
- The College of Saint Scholastica
- University of Minnesota Crookston
- University of Minnesota Duluth
- University of Minnesota Morris
- University of Minnesota Rochester
- University of Minnesota Twin Cities
- University of Phoenix Minneapolis/St Paul Campus
- University of St Thomas
- Vermilion Community College
- White Earth Tribal and Community College
- Winona State University
Minnesota Student Code of Conduct Disciplinary Advisor
Mounting the strongest possible defense to college and university code of conduct and disciplinary violations is critical because the stakes are high for an accused student, and the necessary steps must taken as early as possible and throughout the code of conduct disciplinary process. A finding of responsibility and any sanctions can have incredibly serious consequences for an accused student's academic and professional goals, and Joseph D. Lento has unparalleled experience passionately fighting for the future of his clients at schools in Minnesota and throughout the nation. Joseph Lento is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, is admitted as an attorney pro hac vice in state and federal court if needed when representing clients nationwide, and serves as a code of conduct disciplinary advisor to students facing disciplinary cases in Minnesota and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected - Contact National Student Defense Attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686.
