Facing Academic Dismissal? Talk To An Experienced Attorney.
Many institutions have policies and procedures in their student handbook, catalog and other related documents that govern disciplinary and academic proceedings and provide a process for appeals from sanctions.
An appeal process can be extremely stressful for the student due to the anxiety caused by the current situation and the unknown outcome that may result in major consequences for the student’s future endeavors. Unfortunately, many colleges and universities do not allow attorneys to be present in the appeal process. Therefore, we have implemented a flat-fee support process to assist the student through the appeal process, without representing the student at the hearing.
Our Appeal Support Process consists of writing the appeal, meeting with the student prior to the appeal hearing and providing valuable feedback throughout the process. Because many institutions have strict, and often tight, deadlines for timely filing an appeal, it is imperative that we be consulted with sufficient time to be able to meet the requirements of a particular appeal process. Our Appeal Support Process and our Demand Process are separate and distinct services, but they can be provided concurrently.
When you are facing the possibility of academic dismissal from your medical school, nursing program, college, university or any other institute of higher education, you need focused legal guidance that is tailored to your specific situation.
As a boutique law firm, Education Rights Group, c/o The Bach Law Firm, LLC, provides personalized service and insights into every client’s situation, and we’re responsive to your concerns. Our education litigation lawyers represent students and clients nationwide.
What Leads To Academic Dismissal?
Most people assume that when a school, college or university dismisses or disciplines a student, it is for good reason. That is far from true. Many schools have no problem taking your tuition dollars, only to dismiss you or delay your education for years without a valid cause. Some students are left with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt without the degree and career needed to pay back those student loans. When a school is unjustified in their actions, we hold them accountable and fight for the student’s right to continue their chosen education and career path.
Academic dismissal can occur for many reasons. Some of the most common include:
- Allegations of plagiarism
- Fabrication of experimental results
- Collusion over grades
- Falsified clinical documentation
- Ethical lapses
- Insufficient progress toward degree completion
- Failing USMLE step exams
- Not meeting internship or clerkship standards
- Professionalism violations
In many cases, the allegations are overblown and mitigating circumstances are not considered, which puts students at an unfair disadvantage.
Our Approach: The Demand Process
Lawsuits are burdensome and expensive for institutions of higher education, and many will choose to divert course and look for a compromise when faced with the possibility of litigation.
Knowing this, Education Rights Group, c/o The Bach Law Firm, LLC, generally starts the process of turning things around for our clients through a pre-litigation demand process. This involves outlining the counter-arguments or claims you could raise in court and communicating those with the educational institution in question. In many cases, the mere fact that there are valid arguments against dismissal that could succeed in court is enough to encourage the school’s governing body to negotiate a solution that will work for everybody.
When Negotiations Fail: Pre-Litigation Review
If the demand process is unsuccessful and you wish to move to litigation, our team can review the evidence against you and help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of the case, as well as your odds of success. This is a separate legal stage from the demand process, so it does require a separate agreement regarding representation and the litigation retainer.
When Your Future Is On The Line, Call Us
When your academic career is on the line, protect your aspirations for the future with an aggressive defense. Call Education Rights Group, c/o The Bach Law Firm, LLC, at 800-580-9167 or reach out to us online to learn more.