You may be premed at Georgetown. You may even have been accepted to the Georgetown Early Assurance Program (EAP). However impressive your resume, though, however bright your future may be, it can all disappear in an instant if you should find yourself accused of some form of misconduct.
A serious offense, like weapons possession or sexual assault, can mean the end of your academic career altogether. Even minor offenses, though, can cost you your chance at medical school. One Responsible (guilty) finding of plagiarism, trespassing, or misuse of computer resources could be enough to do it. In fact, even an accusation can sometimes be enough to destroy someone's future.
There's just too much at stake to try and handle a misconduct charge on your own. You need someone on your side who knows how to put together a defense, someone who understands the Georgetown administrative and judicial systems, someone experienced at representing students. You need an attorney from the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team.
What can we do for you? Find out, by calling 888-535-3686 or take a few minutes right now and tell us a little about your situation.
Misconduct at Georgetown University
You expected academics to be tough at Georgetown. You may not have realized just how important your behavior can be. Few places in America are monitored like university campuses. Your every move is scrutinized, from what you do during exams to how you act while playing Frisbee on the quad. There are dozens of rules and regulations, and any violation can impact your future.
- Academic Misconduct: This category of offense has to do with how you complete your coursework. The Georgetown Honor Code mentions a wide range of offenses, from cheating and plagiarism to "abuse of library privileges." Basically, any form of dishonesty related to your studies can get you into trouble.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: The Honor Code covers your behavior in class; the Code of Student Conduct covers your behavior outside of class, everything from underage drinking to theft and vandalism.
- Sexual Misconduct: Though this is technically a form of disciplinary misconduct, it is serious enough that it is treated as its own form of offense. Sexual misconduct is prohibited by federal law under Title IX. As a result, all colleges and universities maintain strict policies and punish offenders with harsh sanctions.
There are no unimportant charges, and there are no unimportant sanctions. Medical schools expect their students to have unimpeachable characters. Even a warning for turning the same paper into two classes is serious. Whatever the allegations, though, you can count on the attorneys at the Lento Law Firm to guide you through the process from start to finish and to get you the very best possible outcome for your case.
Misconduct Procedures
A charge of misconduct is not the same as being found Responsible for (guilty of) misconduct. Georgetown can just accuse you of an offense and punish you. It must first investigate allegations and allow you to defend yourself at a hearing. In addition, you have several important due process rights designed to protect you. Your Lento Law Firm attorney can help you use these to your advantage to demonstrate your innocence or explain your behavior:
- Before you are charged with an offense, someone must report you. The university must then conduct a preliminary investigation to ensure the allegations are both credible and actionable.
- If you are under investigation, you are entitled to a Notice of the Charges. This Notice should provide you with information you can use to begin building your defense, including the name of your accuser, a description of the allegations, and a list of your due process rights.
- You are entitled to be treated as "Not Responsible" (innocent) until proven "Responsible" (guilty). Further, you are entitled to review all evidence against you and to advance notification of all meetings and proceedings in the case.
- The university will undertake some form of investigation, even if that just means collecting your classroom work to determine whether you may have committed plagiarism. As part of this investigation, you have the right to respond to the charges.
- One of your most important rights is the right to representation, and to choose an attorney to fill this role. Your Lento Law Firm attorney cannot speak on your behalf, but they can accompany you to investigative meetings and hearings and offer advice throughout.
- In addition to an investigation, you are entitled to a hearing. At the hearing, you may make arguments, introduce evidence, and call witnesses to testify. You're also allowed to raise questions for any witnesses against you.
- While Georgetown doesn't have to find you Responsible “beyond a reasonable doubt,” decision-makers do need to believe it is “more likely than not” that you committed an offense before they can convict you of misconduct and punish you with a sanction.
- Even should you lose your hearing, you're allowed to appeal that outcome, at least under certain conditions. Grounds for appeal at Georgetown include
- Procedural Error
- New Information
- Disproportionate Sanctions
Cases can differ depending on the precise nature of the charges against you. This is one reason it's so important to have a Lento Law Firm attorney to help you navigate the process. For example, in Title IX sexual misconduct cases, you and the Complainant (your accuser) can cross-examine one another. That's not the case in other types of proceedings. Again, you can count on your Lento Law Firm attorney to be well-versed in all of Georgetown's judicial processes and to help you use those processes effectively in your defense.
Fighting for Your Future
Fighting a misconduct charge is never an easy proposition for anyone. As a pre-med student, though, you face special challenges. Beyond the complexities of the Georgetown University judicial system, you have to worry about whether sanctions are recorded in your record. You have to worry about who might find out about the allegations and whether those allegations might interfere with recommendation letters, even if they're proven false. You have to keep a close watch on social media and make sure your reputation doesn't suffer online. It's an enormous amount of work to have to deal with on your own.
That's why the minute you suspect you might be in trouble, it's vital that you contact the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team. We can negotiate with faculty and administrators if that's what's called for, but we can also be fierce in defending our clients.
Let us help you fight for your academic future. To find out more, contact the firm today at 888-535-3686. Or, fill out our online questionnaire.
