You took a chance and tried to handle your disciplinary misconduct hearing at Berkeley all on your own. Now you’re facing a serious sanction—suspension or maybe even dismissal. Maybe you didn’t take the charges seriously enough, or you didn’t want to tell your parents, or you didn’t want to spend the money.
Or perhaps you did hire a lawyer, but you went with someone local, like a family attorney.
We’re not going to sugar-coat things. You deserve honest answers. You’re facing an uphill battle at this point to salvage your academic career. You do still have some options, but you’re going to need help if you’re going to exercise them effectively.
The LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team was created to help students get the fair treatment they deserve from their colleges and universities. We’re always on your side. We know the law, and we know how UC Berkeley operates. We’ve helped hundreds of students deal with all types of charges, and we’re well-versed in appeals procedures.
You should know, though, that you have a limited window in which to file your appeal. UC Berkeley appeals must be filed within 30 days of learning of the original hearing outcome. Don’t wait. Call us today at 888-535-3686 today, or take time right now to fill out our online questionnaire.
The Bottom Line
The situation you face is serious, and you are very nearly out of options.
- You were given a number of due process rights, such as the right to a presumption of “Not Responsible” (innocent).
- You were allowed to select an advisor, and you were allowed to choose an attorney to fill this role.
- The university already conducted a full investigation.
- You were allowed to defend yourself at a campus hearing—to submit evidence and to call witnesses.
- A Hearing Body found you “Responsible” (guilty) based on a preponderance of evidence and by a majority decision.
- The university subsequently assigned you a penalty, likely a severe one, or you wouldn’t be so anxious for help.
Keep in mind, too, that while suspension and expulsion are devastating sanctions in and of themselves, there’s an additional dimension to these punishments that you may not have considered. Both suspension and dismissal are noted on your transcript, along with an explanation of your offense. That usually means you can’t just transfer to another university. Other schools aren’t eager to admit students who have already been dismissed elsewhere. You could be facing the prospect of heading out onto the job market with no degree at all and maybe even some student loan debt.
We promised you have options, though. What are those?
- You have one final due process right: the right to appeal your case.
- Should your appeal fail, you can try negotiating directly with UC Berkeley. It is sometimes possible to reach an equitable solution that could allow you to leave school without a transcript notation about your infraction.
In either case, you’re going to need the best help you can find. LLF National Law Firm attorneys aren’t just attorneys. We’re dedicated to helping students. We know the system at UC Berkeley, and we know how to use it to our best advantage. As a result, we represent your very best chance of winning your case.
The Appeals Process at UC Berkeley
As we said, throughout your case, you’ve had the advantage of several due process protections. The last of these is the right to an appeal. Keep in mind, however, that you do not have the right to appeal your case just because you don’t like the outcome. You must have “grounds” for appeal. At UC Berkeley, there are basically only two grounds for appeal:
- You have uncovered some new evidence that wasn’t previously available and that could potentially have some direct bearing on the case outcome.
- Some procedural error occurred during the case that either affected the case or in some way deprived you of one of your due process rights.
That’s it. Those are the only reasons for appeal.
You face additional challenges as well. Unlike your original hearing, the decision in your appeal case is in the hands of one individual: the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. There is no hearing. You get no opportunity to talk with the Vice Chancellor in person. You get no opportunity to call witnesses. This one administrator decides whether or not to grant your appeal, and they do so based strictly on your written appeal and the record of the hearing.
This does not mean the situation is hopeless. Students can and do win cases on appeal. However, it should impress upon you the seriousness of your position and the importance of your appeal document. That single document must do everything that your evidence and witnesses were supposed to do at your hearing. It must provide a compelling reason why the Vice Chancellor should reconsider your case.
The attorneys at the LLF National Law Firm understand the situation. We’ve filed hundreds of these appeals. We know that every situation is different, and you can count on us to sit down with you and talk about the very best approach and the very best possible arguments for your specific case. Then, you can expect us to help you draft the appeal itself and to work with you to produce the very best evidence that’s out there. There’s simply not another law firm out there that gives you a better chance at a successful appeal.
Why the LLF National Law Firm?
Should you lose your appeal, there is yet one more option to try. One of the key advantages to hiring an LLF National Law Firm attorney is that we work regularly with the Office of the General Council for several US colleges and universities. These are lawyers who are hired by schools to provide advice on legal issues.
As a result of our relationships with these attorneys, we have a firm grasp of just what motivates colleges and universities to make the decisions they do. That gives us an advantage in drafting appeals. It’s also true that we can, on occasion, leverage our relationships to initiate negotiations. Even if you have lost your appeal, we can try working on a settlement with UC Berkeley that will allow you either to return to school or to transfer to another school without prejudice.
Fight For Your Future
Let’s be absolutely clear: we cannot promise to win your case. At this point, you are in a difficult situation. What we can promise you is that hiring the LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team will give you the very best chance of success.
Don’t wait, though. UC Berkeley gives you just ten days to file your appeal. Contact the LLF National Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.