If you've found your way here, it almost certainly means that you lost your disciplinary misconduct hearing at the University of Virginia. You're facing a serious sanction—maybe suspension, but more likely dismissal—and you've realized that sanction could spell the end of your academic career.
The university doesn't allow attorneys at meetings and hearings. Instead, you're assigned a university Counselor to handle your case. That may have convinced you that you couldn't hire an attorney. The fact is that while UVA can prevent you from bringing an attorney with you to proceedings, it cannot prevent you from consulting an attorney. You always have that right.
The LLF Law Firm's Student Defense Team is committed to the idea that all students deserve fair treatment, and we back up that commitment with legal knowledge and practical experience. We know how the University of Virginia's administrative and judicial processes work. We know your rights, both under the law and under UVA policy, and we'll use those rights to get you the best possible resolution to your case. Maybe, most importantly, we don't have to step one foot on campus to do any of that.
You only have a small window of opportunity in which to act. Don't wait. The University of Virginia gives you just fourteen days to file your appeal. Call 888-535-3686 today, or use our online questionnaire to tell us more about your case.
What's At Stake?
Losing a hearing can be disheartening, especially if you were sure things would work out in your favor. Preparing and presenting a defense is a complex, exhausting process, and going through all of that and still winding up with a sanction like suspension or dismissal is bound to leave you frustrated and depressed. Filing an appeal may be the last thing on your mind.
You must keep fighting, though. Here's why.
Suspension means a serious interruption in your academic progress. Whether you're required to stay away from campus for a semester, a year, or longer, it can be difficult to get back into the academic routine once you've been out of it. Many students never actually finish their degrees. In the meantime, you may need to begin paying back any student loans, and that can become a serious financial burden. Finally, even if you overcome all of these obstacles and earn your degree, your transcript will always reflect your misconduct. That can hurt your chances of getting a good job out of college and advancement as you go through your career.
Dismissal, of course, is far worse. You lose your place at UVA, and you have to deal with a transcript notation that will almost certainly keep other colleges and universities from accepting you.
So, yes, appeals are difficult. There's no guarantee of success. Still, you have nothing to lose by filing one and everything to gain. Plus, this time around, you're not going through the process alone. The LLF Law Firm is on your side.
The Appeals Process at UVA
As a starting point, you should know that an appeal is not the same as a hearing. The investigation and hearing you've already been through were designed to determine whether or not you were guilty of—Responsible for—an offense. You began that process with a presumption of innocence. The university had the burden of proving you had committed a policy violation, and while you likely offered up evidence of your innocence, you didn't necessarily even need to do that in order to win your case.
The purpose of an appeal is not to determine guilt or innocence. You've already been found guilty. Instead, the issue is whether or not you were treated fairly during the investigation and hearing processes. You now carry the burden of proving the university committed some error or mistreated you in some way.
In addition, you are limited in terms of arguments. During the original hearing, you were allowed to present any evidence that might tend to prove your innocence. Appeals aren't about innocence, though. They are about the inherent fairness of the process. That limits the "grounds"—or arguments—you can use to appeal.
- A procedural error significant enough to have affected the case occurred.
- New evidence has arisen that wasn't available at the time of the hearing, and that could have some impact on the case outcome.
- The sanction you face is disproportionate to the nature of your offense.
UVA does hold hearings into appeals, which is a significant advantage for you. It means you have the opportunity to address decision-makers directly, to use your voice and your presence to help influence their decisions. As with your original case hearing, you must take these proceedings seriously. You must have a clear defense strategy, prepare well in advance, and do everything you possibly can to create a strong, compelling presentation.
Unfortunately, you can't bring an attorney with you to this hearing either. Just as in your original case, you're limited to advisors drawn from the UVA campus community. Again, though, keep in mind that your LLF Law Firm attorney can do much more than simply sit beside you during a hearing. They'll work with you to put your entire case together. They'll go over transcripts of the original hearing, looking for mistakes; they'll help you to organize your evidence; they'll give you practice in making your presentation. Most of all, they'll monitor everything that happens and make absolutely sure you're treated fairly.
Fight For Your Future
We know that this description of the process is daunting. There is one more thing you should keep in mind, though. Students can and do win appeals cases. It's easy to see why. In all likelihood, your guilt was decided by a handful of faculty and students—maybe a poli sci professor, an English T.A., or a fourth-year art major. Training to sit on a Conduct Board is minimal. Mistakes happen. A lot of mistakes, in fact. You shouldn't be the victim of a mistake.
The LLF Law Firm is on your side. You can count on the firm's Student Defense Team to review your entire case. If there are grounds for an appeal, we'll find it. We'll make sure your arguments and evidence are airtight, and we'll make sure the university gives those arguments a fair hearing.
As we said in the beginning, though, you need to get started now. You have just fourteen days to file your appeal, and there's lots to be done. Contact the LLF Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.
