You’ve been through the wringer. It’s no picnic being accused of university misconduct. You endured an investigation. You dealt with a hearing. You suffered the humiliation of being found responsible for an offense and the shame of being slapped with a sanction. You did all that while continuing to attend classes and study for exams. You’re exhausted. No one would blame you for wanting to give up and walk away at this point.
Don’t do it, though. You can still salvage your academic future by filing an appeal. We can help.
The LLF National Law Firm is on your side no matter what the circumstances, and we’re prepared to use every resource at our disposal to get you the best possible resolution to your case. Those resources are extensive. Our Student Defense Team was founded to protect student rights, and this isn’t our first rodeo. We’ve worked with hundreds of students, protecting them from all types of charges. We know how the Minnesota State University-Mankato system operates, including what’s involved in filing an appeal. You didn’t have us on your side before. Adding us to your team can make all the difference.
We’ll work hard on your behalf, but it’s important you contact us quickly. The window for filing your appeal is brief, and there’s a lot to be done. Call the LLF National Law Firm today at 888-535-3686, or use our online questionnaire to tell us more about your situation.
The Challenges of an Appeal
Let’s be clear: you’re always at a disadvantage when you file an appeal at MSU-Mankato. You need to know that going in. That does not mean you shouldn’t file. It means you need to be clear-eyed about what you’re facing.
An appeal is not a chance to revisit the issue of your innocence. It is not a hearing “re-do.” The issue of your responsibility has already been decided, and for the moment at least, you must accept that you lost your hearing.
An appeal is a very specific judicial procedure designed to determine if the system worked the way it was supposed to. The question isn’t whether or not you are innocent, but whether or not you had a fair opportunity to defend yourself. You can gain a new hearing—a new chance to prove your innocence—but only if you can first prove that you were denied your due process rights.
- You can argue that some new piece of evidence has come to light since the hearing. That evidence could have a significant bearing on the case, and you deserve to re-present your entire case now that you have access to it.
- You can argue that the university failed to follow its own procedures in your case. Maybe you were denied the right to an unbiased decision-maker, or you didn’t receive advanced notice of your hearing. You deserve a second chance to present your entire case.
- You can argue that decision-makers imposed an unfair sanction in your case, one disproportionate to your offense. You won’t get a new hearing, but you do deserve a reasonable punishment.
All of these arguments are essentially accusations against the university or the disciplinary system itself. In other words, you’re the complainant (the accuser) this time. That means you don’t have the advantage of the “presumption of innocence.” Again, you’ve been found guilty. The university is presumed innocent. The working assumption is that everything happened the way it was supposed to during the investigation and hearing. Only a “preponderance of evidence” can overcome that presumption and result in a new hearing or a reduced sanction.
The good news is that there is every chance the university made some kind of mistake in your case, and it only takes one mistake to justify a new hearing. The better news is that you’re not alone this time around. The LLF National Law Firm can work with you to find grounds for appeal. We can draft your appeal. We can make sure you’re treated fairly throughout the process.
The Filing Process
Writing your appeal is the tricky part. Once you’ve done that, filing the appeal is relatively straightforward. It is important you follow all the guidelines, though. You don’t want the university to reject your appeal over some technicality.
- You submit your appeal to the Office of Student Conduct or the Department of Residential Life, depending on who originally handled your case. Again, you must do this before the deadline listed on your resolution notification letter.
- Your case is then forwarded to an appeals officer.
- Typically, there are no hearings in appeals cases. You will not have the chance to speak directly to the appeals officer. As a result, it’s vital that your appeal be absolutely clear.
- Once the appeals officer has your appeal, your job is simply to wait for their decision.
One Last Option
Even if you lose your appeal, your case isn’t necessarily over. You can still try approaching the MSU-Mankato administration directly and asking them to intervene in your case.
Here’s how you do that.
All colleges and universities maintain an Office of General Counsel. The OGC is made up of attorneys who provide the school with legal advice on a range of subjects, from complying with state and federal law to avoiding costly lawsuits.
As you might expect, given our extensive work in the field of student defense, the LLF National Law Firm knows OGC around the country. We work with them every day, and we speak their language. We can sometimes leverage these relationships to convince a university president or provost to negotiate a better settlement for our clients. In the past, we’ve convinced schools to reduce students’ sanctions. We’ve gotten schools to remove offenses from students’ transcripts. We’ve even managed to get cases dismissed altogether.
How Can the LLF National Law Firm Help With Your Case?
Whether you’re entirely innocent or simply looking to get fair treatment from Minnesota State University-Mankato, you owe it to yourself to continue the fight. The LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team is here and ready to help. We’ll guide you through the entire appeals process, make sure your case is airtight, and guarantee the university respects your rights.
As we said in the beginning, though, you cannot afford to wait. There are deadlines for filing your appeal. Get started now. Contact the LLF National Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.