It doesn't matter how smart you may be. It doesn't matter that you're in class every day or that you study every night and all weekend long. No one is immune from a disciplinary misconduct charge at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Even you. Misunderstandings happen all the time. Sometimes, false allegations happen. Or maybe you just made an honest mistake.
Whatever your situation, it's important you have the Lento Law Firm attorney on your side if you're facing charges. We know how UNLV judicial processes and procedures work and how to use them to your advantage. Our Student Defense Team has represented hundreds of students, defending them from all types of charges. Most importantly, we're always on your side. We know colleges and universities can be too rigid in their policies, too quick to accuse students, and too extreme when it comes to sanctions. We're ready to fight to protect your rights.
What can we do for you? Call 888-535-3686 to find out, or take a few minutes right now and fill out one of our online forms.
The UNLV Code of Conduct
UNLV maintains a strict Code of Student Conduct listing all the many rules and regulations students are expected to obey. It's an extensive document, and we don't have time to describe every offense in detail here (though we do recommend that you take the time to go over it yourself). What we can do is identify the most serious violations, the ones that tend to carry the most serious punishments.
- Physical Harm: No community can survive if it's not willing to protect its members. UNLV's Code doesn't just prohibit violence or physical assault. It also bars direct threats or "uttering words" that place anyone on campus in fear for their safety. Note, too, that you can be investigated for self-harm as well.
- Weapons Possession: Unless specifically authorized by the UNLV President, the Code explicitly outlaws all weapons possession. This includes any device specifically defined as a weapon by the state of Nevada. In addition, you can be sanctioned for using any object to "simulate a weapon" in a way that endangers, threatens, or intimidates others.
- Hazing: Physical harm and threats in association with induction into a campus organization are specifically identified as "hazing." This offense can also include less serious behaviors such as verbal harassment. In recent years, students have even been charged for preventing pledges from having enough time to study.
- Sexual Misconduct: Sexually-based offenses from verbal harassment to sexual assault and rape are prohibited under Title IX, a federal law. Like all colleges and universities, UNLV is required to investigate all credible allegations and encouraged to impose harsh penalties.
- Drug Possession: UNLV actually maintains a separate anti-drug policy that goes into detail about all the various restrictions on drug use and possession. The Code puts it far more simply: drug possession, use, distribution, sale, manufacture, and synthesis are all violations. You can also be investigated simply for being "under the influence."
Any sanction can have serious long-term effects on your academic and professional futures. Even a warning can cost you scholarships, graduate school opportunities, and jobs if it winds up on your transcript. Whether you're facing one of these five serious charges or some lesser charge, you cannot afford to handle a misconduct defense yourself. You need the best help you can find. You need someone from the Lento Law Firm.
Judicial Processes and Procedures at UNLV
You can defend yourself from a disciplinary misconduct charge at UNLV. You are entitled to due process, including the presumption of "not responsible" (innocence). It's not always easy to know how to use the process to your advantage. It's always better if you have the Lento Law Firm attorney at your side to help you navigate the process and use your rights to your advantage.
Here's a brief outline of what you can expect.
- Cases begin when someone files a complaint with the Office of Student Conduct. Anyone may accuse you of an offense, but the Office must believe the accusations are credible before it proceeds.
- If the Office of Student Conduct formally charges you, you'll receive official notice of those charges. This notice must describe the allegations, and it must explain all your due process rights.
- The Code gives you the right to an advisor, who may be an attorney. This means that from the moment you are charged, the Lento Law Firm attorney can accompany you to meetings and hearings and make sure you're treated fairly.
- The Office of Student Conduct then conducts a full investigation. Keep in mind that the university cannot proceed against you without substantiating evidence. As part of the investigation, you should be invited to give your version of events. You can also offer evidence and suggest witnesses for investigators to interview.
- The length of an investigation can vary. When it is complete, though, investigators submit a full written report of their findings back to the Office of Student Conduct. The Office then sets a date and time for a hearing before either an individual Hearing Officer or a full Hearing Panel.
- At the hearing, both sides are allowed to offer arguments and present evidence. You may call witnesses to testify, and you may raise questions for anyone testifying against you.
- At the conclusion of the hearing, decision-makers determine whether there is a "preponderance of the evidence" to find you responsible for (guilty of) the offense. Basically, you are guilty if it seems "more likely than not" that you committed the offense.
- You can appeal a responsible outcome, but you must have sufficient grounds to do so. Disagreeing with the outcome is not sufficient. You need an issue of fairness, such as a procedural error or the discovery of new evidence.
Note that UNLV explicitly bars advisors from speaking for students. The Lento Law Firm attorney can be present at proceedings but cannot participate directly. What they can do is prepare you to present your own case. They'll work with you to collect evidence, for example, and prepare you for investigative interviews. They'll outline your presentation and help you practice making your arguments. And, of course, they can offer advice throughout the process, helping ensure you put forward your very best case.
Fighting for Your Future
Handling your own disciplinary misconduct case puts your entire future at risk. Make sure you have a professional on your side, someone who not only knows how to construct a strong defense but who has experience helping student clients defend themselves from university charges. The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team will make sure you're fully prepared to defend yourself. They'll protect your rights. They'll help you to get the very best possible resolution to your case.
Sometimes, you have to fight for your educational future. We can help. To find out more, contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686. Or, fill out our online questionnaire.
