If you're a student at a college or university in Massachusetts and you're facing a Title IX hearing, many steps have to be taken prior to the hearing itself. The school will prepare an investigation report. It will be presented, once finalized, to the hearing panel. The hearing panel will have a strong sense of the case before the hearing even takes place. So in that final investigation report, it should include, as applicable, anything related to the case that can help strengthen a party's case. Text messages, social media posts, witness statements, photographs, videos, a toxicology report if consent is an issue, a forensic evaluation, a polygraph examination. For the hearing itself, an opening and closing statement would need to be prepared. Witness questions for the accuser, the accuser's witnesses, the accused, the accused witnesses, potential expert witnesses. A party would also have to be prepared for any potential missteps or pitfalls that can take place during the course of the hearing. A hearing panel would have to be considered for potential bias and conflict. An experienced attorney advisor can help with these steps and can help maximize the prospect of a favorable outcome at a Title IX hearing.