Perhaps more than any other region in the United States, Boston is known for an abnormal concentration of competitive educational institutions. You'll also find highly competitive academic environments in surrounding cities Newton and Cambridge and adjacent states like Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
If you are the parent of a student in any of these locales, or you are a college student in Boston or its surrounding geographical area, you must respond tactfully when trouble arises. Whether you or your student experience issues related to academic performance, behavioral conduct, Title IX, or academic integrity, know this: The school is not your personal representative.
Only an attorney-advisor can represent you or your student without a conflict of interest. Even a school-appointed advisor may have split loyalties. Contact the Lento Law Firm today for capable, unbiased representation.
Boston Metropolitan Area - Cambridge, Newton, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island
Because of the Northeastern United States' comfortable confines, the Boston metropolitan area actually spans multiple state lines. In addition to Boston, the metroplex also includes:
- Newton
- Cambridge
- Worcester
- Quincy
- Revere
- Lynn
- Peabody
- Lawrence
- Brookline
- Haverhill
- Brockton
- Somerville
- Lowell
- Medford
- Waltham
- Other cities in Massachusetts
- Parts of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire
Though not every segment of Connecticut, Rhode Island, or New Hampshire may technically fall within the Boston metroplex, this article will cover prominent schools and universities in these states—if only because you're here already.
Student Concerns Specific to the Boston Metro Area
Going to school in the Northeast, and in the Boston metro area, in particular, is an educational experience unlike any other.
You might be grinding to graduate from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) or pursuing a liberal arts degree at Boston University. Rather, your child might be boarding at a nationally renowned school like Phillips Exeter or still living with you while attending Milton Academy.
There is one common theme in each of these scenarios: competition—serious competition.
The melting pot of high-caliber educational institutions in the Boston metroplex provides a great opportunity but also puts you or your child under the microscope. Such pressure may lead to academic struggles, lapses in judgment, and other issues. When such issues arise, schools may have a low- or zero-tolerance approach to discipline.
With great competition also comes great opportunity. Graduating from a respected school in the Boston metro area could open many doors for you or your child, which makes it all the more important to retain an experienced, capable attorney-advisor to mitigate reputational harm.
Schools We Deal with in Boston Metropolitan Area
Our firm operates nationwide, and we've assisted students and parents throughout the Northeast. Some of the K-12 schools and universities that we are familiar with in Boston, greater Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island include:
Colleges and Universities in the Boston Metro Area
An attorney-advisor from the Lento Law Firm eagerly fights for students attending:
- Boston College
- Brown University
- Boston University
- Northeastern University
- Harvard University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- College of the Holy Cross
- UMass-Boston
- UMass-Amherst
- UMass-Lowell
- Bridgewater State University
- Tufts University
- Amherst College
- Salem State University
- Bentley University
- Babson College
- Emerson College
- Wellesley College
- Wesleyan University
- Providence College
- Williams College
- Trinity College
- University of Hartford
- Connecticut College
- University of Connecticut
- Roger Williams University
- Assumption University
- University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
- Brandeis University
- University of Rhode Island
- University of New Hampshire
- Clark University
- Springfield College
- Smith College
- Suffolk University
- Wheaton College
Boston alone is flooded with colleges and universities, and there are many other universities throughout the Boston metro area. Even if your college or university is not on this list, our team can assist you.
Graduate Schools and Specialty Collegiate Programs in Boston, Cambridge, Newton, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island
Accomplished students from around the country flock to the Boston Metroplex to pursue advanced and specialty degrees, with notable programs and colleges including:
- Boston Architectural College
- Boston College Graduate Programs
- Northeastern University Graduate Programs
- UMass Graduate Programs
- University of Rhode Island Graduate Programs
- Brown University Graduate Programs
- Harvard University Graduate Programs
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Wentworth Institute of Technology
- Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
- Massachusetts Maritime Academy
- Montserrat College of Art
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences - Boston
Whether your focus is law, medicine, architecture, digital arts, or another field of education, you've invested much into your education. Our firm will work hard to protect your investment by resolving the issue that you currently face.
Notable K-12 Private Schools in the Boston Metro Area
The heart of education in America, Boston, and surrounding cities and states claim some of the most prestigious primary schools in the nation, including:
- Phillips Academy Andover
- Groton School
- Noble and Greenough School
- Bishop Fenwick High School
- Concord Academy
- Commonwealth School
- Boston University Academy
- Milton Academy
- Middlesex School
- Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
- St. Mark's School
- Winsor School
- The Roxbury Latin School
- The Rivers School
- Belmont Hill School
- Brooks School
- British International School of Boston
- Dana Hall School
- Newton Country Day School
- St. Sebastian's School
- The Cambridge School of Weston
- The Governor's Academy
- Lawrence Academy
- Gann Academy
- Montrose School
- Private K-12 schools throughout Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and greater Massachusetts
Many of these schools leave little room for student error. These are still kids, though, and we'll ensure that your student receives the fair shake they're entitled to.
Notable K-12 Public Schools in the Boston Metro Area
We serve parents of students in public school districts in the Boston metro area, including:
- Berkshire Public School District
- Plymouth Public School District
- Barnstable Public School District
- Dukes Public School District
- Nantucket Public School District
- Bristol Public School District
- Norfolk Public School District
- Worcester Public School District
- Essex Public School District
- Middlesex Public School District
- Suffolk Public School District
- Hampden Public School District
- Hampshire Public School District
- Franklin Public School District
- Berkshire Public School District
- Public school districts throughout Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island
Students in public schools may be little more than a number to administrators and superintendents. Let the Lento Law Firm provide a personalized, impassioned defense for your student.
Areas of Student Discipline Defense That We Can Assist You or Your Student With
Student discipline defense is our firm's specialty. This sets us apart from the typical attorney-advisor you might otherwise hire and makes us familiar with all kinds of issues that you or your student may be facing.
Our team has successfully represented students in the Boston metro area facing:
Academic Progression Issues
To struggle is not just understandable but perhaps to be expected for those attending the ultra-competitive schools in Boston and surrounding areas. However, significant academic hardship may lead to serious consequences, including but not limited to probation, suspension, or dismissal.
Universities that receive federal funding must implement minimum academic standards for students who receive financial aid. These Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards could be relevant to your case, but your school's unique academic progression policies will also come into play.
We will review your school's policies on academic progression. As one example of these policies, Boston College allows students to petition for grade changes. Successful grade changes may positively affect their financial aid status (not to mention their academic record). Grade changes are one potential resolution we consider when representing students of all ages.
If you're the parent of a student in elementary, middle, or high school, then your child having to repeat a grade could also be a possibility. Our firm will explore how to resolve any academic progression issues that you or your student are facing.
Academic Misconduct Allegations
Academics are the ostensible reason why you or your student is in school. It is no surprise, then, that K-12 schools and universities throughout the Boston metroplex have firm stances against academic misconduct.
Saint Joseph Prep's Academic Policies (p.11) are reflective of those that you might find at a university, prep school, public high school, or elementary school in the greater Boston area. The policy prohibits:
- Plagiarism
- Using technology for an unauthorized academic advantage
- Exchanging answers in a prohibited manner
- Using cheat sheets
- Helping or failing to report another person's academic dishonesty
- Tampering with a gradebook
- Any other unauthorized act that gives the student, or another student, an academic advantage
These are rules that every student should reasonably abide by. However, an allegation of academic misconduct does not alone make your child responsible for misconduct. Every educational institution owes students the opportunity to defend themselves—and most institutions will provide this opportunity without a fight.
It is in your interest, as a student or parent, to take full advantage of any meetings or hearings that the school allows. Having an advisor make a case for non-responsibility or leniency is a best practice for parents and students concerned about possible sanctions.
Non-Academic (i.e., Behavioral) Misconduct Allegations in the Boston Metro Area
Each school has some code of expected behavior. These rules can vary depending on the type of school in question—prohibitions on drunkenness may be of little use for elementary school students but common for university students, for example.
Individual schools also tend to publish their own detailed behavioral policies. Each behavioral policy may generally mirror that of the University of Connecticut, which calls for “respect, civility, trust, cooperation and collaboration among all its members.” Whether you're a university student or the parent of a student (university or otherwise), the school's non-academic behavioral code of conduct may prohibit:
- Violence of any kind towards others
- Possession of illegal drugs or possession of alcohol by minors
- Vandalism
- Harassment of any kind
- Theft
- Extreme forms of verbal disrespect
- Issuing threats
- Various other behaviors
Universities may take prompt action to discipline someone accused of non-academic misconduct. Hire an attorney-advisor to protect your child now.
Title IX Allegations—A Grave Threat to Your or Your Student's Reputation and Future
Title IX regulations are a threat to every student, and particularly male students, in the Boston metro area. Though students are often unaware of this threat until disciplinary proceedings have begun, Title IX has the potential to cause immense damage—both immediately and well into the student's future.
As Harvard's Title IX policies illustrate, a student may face the Title IX investigative and disciplinary process when they're accused of:
- Sexual harassment
- Sexual violence
- Discrimination (though this may accusation may apply more often to authority figures at a school)
- Any other type of sexual misconduct, harassment, or discrimination on the basis of one's gender identity or sexual orientation
Your high school student may not be outside the reach of Title IX. While middle and elementary school students may be far less likely to be involved in a Title IX allegation—by the very nature of their younger ages—every school that receives federal funds falls under Title IX's purview.
Once a school receives a Title IX complaint about a student, the designated Title IX Coordinator may act quickly. An investigation and hearing could be rapidly incoming, and it's critical to have an attorney-advisor who will prepare you or your student for the process.
What Benefits Does a Student Discipline Attorney-Advisor Provide?
Having an experienced student defense attorney-advisor provides innumerable benefits, including but not limited to peace of mind. These benefits may be even greater when the firm you hire specializes in student defense, as the Lento Law Firm does.
Our team can:
- Gather evidence and witness testimony
- Accompany you or your student to meetings and hearings
- Advise you or your student throughout the disciplinary process
- Negotiate a resolution with school administrators
- Negotiate with the school's Office of General Counsel (OGC), a capability that sets our firm apart from run-of-the-mill attorney-advisors
- Take further legal action, if necessary
“Local” attorney-advisors do not generally have the experience, expertise, or passion for student defense that we do. Don't risk your or your student's future with subpar representation, hire the Lento Law Firm.
Call the Lento Law Firm, led by seasoned attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento, today at 888-535-3686 or submit your case details online.
