If you've found your way to this page, it can mean only one thing—you've been found "Responsible for" (guilty of) an offense at the University of Louisville, and now you're facing a serious sanction--suspension perhaps, or outright dismissal.
We're not sure why you chose not to hire an attorney to help you with your investigation and your original hearing. That doesn't matter now, though. What does matter is that you have one last chance to salvage your education at UL. No matter what your situation, you can count on the Lento Law Firm to stand beside you in that fight.
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team was founded to protect student rights, and we've helped hundreds of students defend themselves from all types of charges. We know what the law has to say about education, and we know how UL's judicial processes and procedures work, including how to file appeals. We'll use every resource at our disposal to get you the very best possible resolution to your case.
You cannot wait to contact us, though. The University of Louisville gives you just ten days to file your appeal, and that's not a lot of time to prepare your case. 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 the University of Louisville
Many of our clients assume an appeal is a chance to re-argue their case. The original decision-makers at their hearing must have gotten things wrong, and our clients think that if they can only explain their situation to someone in a position of more authority, they'll manage to overturn the original hearing outcome. The reality is very different.
An appeal is a very specific judicial procedure requiring you to reorient your entire thinking about your case.
- First, you're no longer “innocent” of the charges against you. That may seem obvious, but the full implications of that fact may not have occurred to you.
- As a result of the Responsible finding, the burden in the case has shifted. UL was required by its own policy to give you the benefit of the doubt--to "presume" you were innocent. Only a "preponderance" of evidence could have overcome that presumption. You probably offered arguments in your own defense, for example, but you didn't need to. You were innocent until proven guilty. Now that you've been found guilty ("Responsible"), you're trying to prove that the university treated you unfairly in some way. UL now has the presumption of innocence, and you now bear the burden of proving otherwise.
- In fact, the issue of your innocence is no longer at stake. Rightly or wrongly, you've been determined Responsible. Trying to offer up the same arguments you presented at your hearing will get you nowhere. Your arguments—the "grounds" for your appeal—must relate to issues of fairness, and there are limited options.
- You can argue that some procedural error occurred.
- You can argue that the weight of the evidence was not sufficient to have led to the outcome.
- You can argue that the university has imposed a sanction that is too harsh for the nature of your offense.
- You can argue that new evidence—evidence not available at the time of the hearing—warrants a new hearing.
- You may have faced a panel of decision-makers in your original hearing. Now, your fate rests in the hands of one administrator—the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs.
- The Associate Vice President does not hold hearings into appeals. That means you will not have a chance to talk to them directly, to plead your case in person, or to call witnesses. All of your arguments must be contained in the written appeal itself.
- Unless you have new evidence, you must rely entirely on the original hearing transcript to back your arguments.
- Except in unusual circumstances, the Associate Vice President cannot overturn the hearing outcome. At best, you'll have another opportunity to make your case at a new hearing.
How will the Lento Law Firm attorney help with the process? As a starting point, they can work with you to adjust your thinking so you can put forward your very strongest case in your appeal. They'll go over the investigation and hearing records with a fine-tooth comb, looking for grounds for your appeal. They'll formulate your best arguments and draft a document that makes those arguments compelling.
What's at Stake
Plenty of students give up without filing an appeal. They're tired. They're frustrated at the Responsible outcome. The appeals process seems daunting.
Again, though, it's important you understand the function of an appeal. Appeals work as a check on the system, a chance to correct any mistakes in how the system functioned in your case. It turns out, university judicial systems make lots of mistakes. Yes, you do have to find appropriate grounds for your appeal, but that may not be as difficult as you think. Chemistry professors and third-year accounting majors aren't great at dispensing justice. They let their biases govern their decisions. They ignore evidence that matters and are swayed by evidence that doesn't. This time around, you have the advantage of the Lento Law Firm attorney who can identify any of these mistakes and show you how to leverage them.
Beyond this fact, though, it's important to consider the alternatives. If you're facing dismissal, there is no tomorrow. You won't just be leaving UL. You'll have a notation on your transcript explaining the particulars of your offense. That probably means you won't be able to find another school to accept you. The situation is somewhat better if you're facing suspension. You can return to UL and finish your degree. That's easier said than done, though. You'll likely lose your financial aid as a result of your offense, for instance. And you'll also have a transcript notation to deal with. Even with a degree, employers are going to be reluctant to consider your applications.
You can win. You must win. The Lento Law Firm will do everything in its power to make sure you do win.
Fight For Your Future
Whether you're entirely innocent or you're simply looking to get fair treatment from the University of Louisville, you owe it to yourself to continue the fight. We're here and ready to help. We'll guide you through the entire appeals process, make sure you put forward your very strongest arguments 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 Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.
