You're in a tough spot, no question. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here.
Howard University has found you Responsible for (guilty of) an offense. The school has issued a sanction, and it's severe: suspension at a minimum and maybe even dismissal.
You have one last chance to salvage your academic career, and you want to make the most of it. The good news is that you've come to the right place. Maybe you tried to handle your defense on your own because you were worried your parents might find out you were in trouble. Maybe you didn't think the charges were serious enough or that the worst penalty you might face would be a slap on the wrist. And, of course, except in some special circumstances, Howard told you that you weren't allowed to bring an attorney to investigative meetings and hearings, so you thought, what's the point of hiring one then?
You know better now. An attorney can do far more for your case than simply sit beside you during proceedings. It's their job to organize your entire defense—to help you come up with arguments, work with you to uncover evidence, suggest questions for witnesses, prep you to answer questions and present your case, and monitor everything to ensure you're treated fairly.
The Lento Law Firm has the premier Student Defense Team in the country. We can do all of this and more. We know the law, and we're familiar with Howard's judicial system, and we know exactly what to expect from all procedures, including appeals. Most importantly, we're always on your side and ready to fight for your rights.
It's important you contact us as soon as possible, though. Howard gives you just five business days from the end of your hearing to file an appeal. That's not a lot of time, and there's a lot get done. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686, or use our online questionnaire to tell us more about your situation.
The Appeals Process at Howard University
An appeal is not the same as a hearing. That's true in criminal cases; it's also true in campus judicial cases. The purpose of each process is different, and as a result, you need to shift your thinking before you take on an appeal.
- First, you must recognize that you are now Responsible for your offense. That may not be easy to wrap your head around, especially if you are genuinely innocent or the victim of some sort of misunderstanding. Nevertheless, while you were “innocent until proven guilty,” you are now guilty. And where the burden lay on Howard to prove your guilt before, the burden is now on you to prove that Howard mistreated you in some way and owes you a new hearing.
- As part of your shift in thinking, you must narrow your focus. During the hearing, you could make virtually any argument that might help you prove your innocence. Now, you're limited to just four possible arguments, or “grounds”:
- The university failed to follow appropriate procedures in your case.
- The university made some substantive error in how it applied its own policies, and as a result, you were denied a fair chance to defend yourself.
- New evidence has arisen that wasn't available at the time of the hearing, and this evidence could potentially alter the outcome.
- You've been issued a sanction that is disproportionate to your offense.
- You probably presented your original case before several decision-makers. This time, a single administrative official has sole power to decide your appeal.
- The administrative officer may decide to hold a hearing into your appeal. However, you are limited during such hearings to addressing the elements of your written appeal. You may not call witnesses to testify.
- Unless new evidence has come to light that wasn't previously available, your “proof” must be drawn entirely from the record of the original hearing.
- The administrative appeals officer has just three options in response to your appeal. They can affirm the outcome of the original hearing. They can lessen your sanction. They can order a new hearing.
The Lento Law Firm has been at this for a long time, and we've helped hundreds of students defend themselves. As a result, we're highly experienced when it comes to navigating campus judicial systems. Our experience gives us another useful advantage as well. We often work closely with a university's Office of General Counsel. These are lawyers or law firms that offer legal advice to schools. Our relationships with these Offices give us unique insight into how Howard's process and procedures work. We can also occasionally leverage these relationships to get our clients justice outside normal judicial channels.
What's at Stake
There's no question that an appeal can be challenging. As a result, many students simply give up and accept their sanctions, even if they're entirely innocent.
That's never a good idea. Here's why.
There's no starting your academic career over at this point. You can't transfer your way out of this situation, and even in the best-case scenario, the consequences of your Responsible finding are going to be long-lasting.
The thing is, part of suspension and dismissal is a transcript notation about the nature of your offense. Few, if any, schools will accept you with such a notation in your permanent record. And even if you should manage to return to Howard and graduate, you're going to have to explain that notation to future employers.
It's also true that, despite the challenges you face, you can win your appeal. The whole purpose of an appeal is to serve as a check on the judicial system. An appeal is one last chance for the system to correct any mistakes that may have cost you a chance at justice. University judicial systems make lots and lots of mistakes. After all, when you ask chemistry professors and fourth-year English majors to administer justice, things are bound to go wrong, at least some of the time. That can be maddening when you're going through an investigation or hearing. It can also be solid grounds for an appeal, though.
You also have a brand new weapon in your arsenal—a Lento Law Firm attorney. If the university did make a mistake of some kind, you can be absolutely sure we'll find it. Then, we'll use it to craft an airtight appeal, and we'll fight to make sure you're treated fairly and that you get the best possible resolution to your case.
Fight For Your Future
Of course, the Lento Law Firm cannot guarantee to win your appeal. No one can do that. At this point, you've exhausted a number of your most important rights. The appeals process at Howard exists for a reason, though. You deserve justice, and what the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team can promise you is that they will fight hard to get you that justice. They're here to protect your rights and to make sure you get the best possible resolution to your case.
As we said in the beginning, though, you cannot afford to wait. Five days is not long to put together a strong appeal. Get started now. Contact the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.
