If you’ve been found responsible for a misconduct offense at Dartmouth, you may not believe this, but Dartmouth wants to make sure justice is done. The thing is, when you’re dealing with campus justice, you can’t count on the process to go smoothly. It’s not as though you were investigated by seasoned detectives. There was no prosecutor with a law degree and no judge in flowing robes to rule on matters of procedure. In fact, Dartmouth is upfront about the fact that hearings, even hearings before the Committee on Standards (COS), are informal affairs. Faculty and students make decisions, and with all due respect to your chemistry professor, they know a lot about chemistry, but that doesn’t make them qualified to judge a case on trespassing, hazing, or sexual assault. So, Dartmouth offers you an important right as an accused student: the right to appeal your case when you’ve been found “Responsible” (guilty).
An appeal is your very last chance to avoid the sanction the college has assigned you, though. You want to make the most of this opportunity. You may not have consulted an attorney during your original investigation and hearing, but it’s crucial that you do so now.
The LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team is committed to student rights. We exist for the sole purpose of representing students and getting you the best possible resolution to your case. We’re experienced with all types of allegations and with all phases of campus judicial processes, including appeals.
What can we do for you? Call today to find out. Dial 888-535-3686, or use our online questionnaire to tell us more about your case.
What’s at Stake?
If you’re on the fence about whether it’s worthwhile to pursue an appeal at Dartmouth, let us clear things up for you: it is. Yes, you just went through a difficult investigation and a hearing. Yes, you’re likely tired after dealing with complicated processes and procedures, and you’re rightly frustrated over the outcome. There’s a tremendous amount at stake, though. It’s no exaggeration to say your entire career may depend on the outcome of your case.
If you’re facing dismissal, that’s the end of your time at Dartmouth. It could very well be the end of your time as a student. Serious offenses are noted on your transcript. Very few schools accept transfer students who’ve already been dismissed elsewhere. That means heading out onto the job market with no degree at all. Even if you’re just dealing with probation or suspension, that’s likely going on your transcript, too, and every job application from now on will include that information.
Students can and do win appeals. Universities do get it wrong. They find innocent students Responsible for violations. They assign sanctions that are simply too severe for the nature of the offense. But they offer you the chance to appeal as a way to correct those kinds of mistakes. And you have a secret weapon: an LLF National Law Firm attorney who knows the Dartmouth system and how to make the most of your rights under that system.
Grounds for Appeal
It’s important you understand that an appeal—at Dartmouth, it’s referred to as a “Request for Review”—is not the same as a hearing. Knowing what you’re up against will help you better prepare to defend yourself.
As a starting point, the fundamental purpose of an appeal is different than the hearing you went through before. Hearings are designed to decide whether or not you are Responsible for (guilty of) an offense. An appeal is to determine whether or not you were treated fairly during the process.
As a practical matter, this means you’ll be making very different arguments than you made before. You aren’t allowed to argue for your innocence or to explain the reasons for your actions. Decision-makers aren’t allowed to consider whether you’re guilty or innocent, and they’re not allowed to find you guilty or innocent. Their role is strictly to determine whether the process worked the way it was supposed to. Arguments aren’t even referred to as “arguments.” You’re presenting “grounds” for your appeal—reasons why you believe you deserve a lesser sanction or another chance to present your case.
At Dartmouth, there are only two possible grounds for review.
- A procedural error occurred that was serious enough to have affected the outcome of the hearing.
- New evidence has been uncovered that wasn’t available at the time of the hearing, but that might have affected the outcome of the hearing.
Your LLF National Law Firm attorney’s first job is to sit down with you and review your case. Once they’ve done that, they’ll be able to suggest the best options for your case.
The Appeals Process at Dartmouth College
There are other significant differences between appeals and hearings.
- Before your hearing, you were presumed Not Responsible. That’s no longer the case. Mistake or not, you’ve been found Responsible, and that will color how you’re treated. For example, the burden is now on you to prove that you deserve a different sanction or a new hearing.
- An appeal doesn’t allow you the opportunity to address decision-makers. Your entire case must be contained in a written document.
- Unless you’ve uncovered new evidence, the only evidence you’re allowed to present must come from the record of the hearing.
- You may have been judged by a COS panel. This time, your fate rests in the hands of a single administrative official, either the Director of Community Standards and Accountability, the Dean of the College, or a Title IX appeals officer.
- An appeal cannot overturn the verdict in your case. If you should “win” your appeal, you’ll need to re-present your case.
How Can the LLF National Law Firm Help?
Again, you may have chosen not to consult with an attorney during previous phases of your case. However, your LLF National Law Firm attorney can handle many aspects of your appeal.
- They’ll review the record of your case and develop grounds for appeal.
- They’ll identify mistakes that can be used as evidence for your appeal.
- They’ll help you draft a compelling document that makes your points clear and puts you in the best possible light.
By far, though, your attorney’s most important job is to make sure Dartmouth respects your rights and to hold the college accountable if it doesn’t.
Fight For Your Future
We won’t sugarcoat it: you’re in a difficult situation with limited options. You’ve already been found “Responsible” for an offense, and you don’t have a lot of rights left to help you overturn that verdict. Given those parameters, we can’t promise to win your appeal. No one can. Here’s what we can promise you, though: no one gives you a better chance of winning your appeal than the LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team. No one knows the system the way we do, and no one is better positioned to leverage that system to your benefit. If you know you are innocent, if you believe you’ve been treated unfairly, we can help.
You cannot afford to wait, though. The window for filing your appeal at Dartmouth College is just seven days. That’s not a lot of time to build your defense. Contact the LLF National Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.