There's really only one reason you've navigated to this page. You're in trouble at Boston College—serious trouble—and you're looking for help. If you're hoping to file an appeal at BC, it means you've already been charged with misconduct, investigated, and adjudicated. You lost your hearing, and the college assigned you a sanction—maybe suspension, but more likely dismissal.
We're also guessing that you didn't hire an attorney to help you the first time around. It could be that you were worried hiring an attorney would mean getting your parents involved. Or maybe you just didn't take the charges seriously enough. You didn't think the college disciplinary system would be that complicated, or you didn't think the penalty would be all that severe or both.
The good news is that you still have the right to appeal the hearing outcome, and you've come to the right place to get help. The Lento Law Firm is the premier law firm in the country when it comes to student disciplinary issues. Our Student Defense Team is capable and experienced. We've dealt with every conceivable type of allegation. We're familiar with all BC processes and procedures. We know exactly what's involved in an appeal, including what kinds of arguments are most effective and what makes for the best evidence.
At this point, though, you need to take the next step and contact us. Call 888-535-3686, or use our online questionnaire to tell us more about your case. It's important you act quickly, though. BC gives you just five days from the end of your hearing to file your appeal.
What's At Stake?
Make no mistake about what's at risk for you. If you've already been found Responsible for a disciplinary violation, you can expect sanctions to take effect immediately, and these are harsh sanctions you're dealing with.
Suspension means time away from BC. You can't take classes, and you can't stay on campus. Depending on the length of your suspension, you may have to begin paying back student loans. And while you can return once your suspension is up, it's never easy to reenter the academic world once you've been away. Plus, you'll now have a transcript notation about the nature of your offense, and that notation will follow you to every job interview.
If you've been dismissed, the situation is even more dire. You're done at BC, but you may also be done with higher education altogether. Your transcript notation likely means you won't find another school willing to accept you. You'll be heading into the workforce with no degree at all.
As you'll see, an appeal can be an uphill battle, and there's absolutely no guarantee of success. The thing is, you have nothing to lose at this point. You also have a secret weapon this time around: the Lento Law Firm attorney.
The Appeals Process at Boston College
We want to be as honest and straightforward about what you're facing as we possibly can. The first thing you need to know: An appeal is not a hearing, and you'll face more challenges.
When you were initially charged with misconduct, Boston College was bound by its own policies to provide you with a number of important due process rights. The school was required to treat you as innocent (“Not Responsible”) until proven guilty (“Responsible”). You had the right to review the evidence against you. You had the right to a thorough investigation and formal hearing. You've used up many of those rights.
- You no longer have the presumption of innocence. You've been found Responsible, and you'll be treated as such. As a practical matter, the burden is now on you to prove that BC made a mistake rather than the other way around.
- There's no investigation at this point. Unless you've uncovered some exonerating evidence in the five days since your hearing, the only admissible evidence is the record of the hearing.
- You may have faced a Conduct Board during your hearing. Appeals cases are decided by a single Appeals Officer.
- There is no hearing. You will not have the opportunity to address the Appeals Officer directly. Everything you have to say must be included in the written appeal itself.
You're also not arguing over your guilt or innocence anymore. Again, you've already been found guilty. You're arguing over whether or not you were treated fairly during the judicial process. That significantly limits what approaches you can take. Appeals are about establishing "grounds." Grounds are essential reasons why you deserve another chance to make your case. Boston College recognizes just three grounds for appeal:
- Some aspect of judicial procedure was violated, and the violation was significant enough to have potentially affected the outcome.
- New evidence has been uncovered that wasn't available at the time of the hearing and that could potentially affect the outcome.
Finally, the outcome of an appeal is not the same as a hearing. "Winning" an appeal does not mean you've been exonerated. It means the Appeals Official accepts your argument that you were treated unfairly and does something to rectify the situation. Typically, that means you get to make your case at hearing again. Basically, you start from square one. Of course, this time, you have the Lento Law Firm attorney on your side, and that can make an enormous difference.
Fight For Your Future
You're facing an uphill battle, but it is one you can win. Boston College does make mistakes. Judicial decisions aren't in the hands of learned judges with years of experience on the bench. Your case was probably decided by a handful of faculty and students with minimal training. That usually means something went wrong at some point.
You're also not on your own this time. The attorneys who work for the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team know what to look for in terms of evidence. We'll help you go over the hearing record and uncover any mistake that could be used as the basis of your appeal. We'll work with you to craft compelling arguments. We'll draft a watertight appeal on your behalf.
As we said in the beginning, though, you can't wait to get started. You have just five days to file your appeal. Contact the Lento Law Firm right now at 888-535-3686 or use our online form today.
