Spring has come to Central Ohio, and Spring Break season has come to campuses across the state. With warm weather comes more opportunity for socializing and fun outside of classes – and the risk of running into student conduct issues.

If you (or your loved one) comes home from Spring Break to find a notice of a student conduct violation in your mailbox, will you know what to do to defend yourself? Did you read the student handbook you received at orientation, or is it still sitting on the dorm room shelf gathering dust, or more likely, sitting in your school email inbox as a file you’ve never saved or read? The student handbook is where you will learn what rights you are provided by the school in the event you are accused of misconduct.

The student disciplinary process at a public or private university is not a formal legal process, but in almost all cases, the penalties can be equally as severe. Mere negative marks in your student conduct file can impact your future – not to mention the appearance of a suspension or expulsion on your permanent record. Records of student misconduct can keep you from admission to graduate or professional schools, stop you from qualifying for security clearances, or keep you from passing character and fitness tests for professional licenses.

Note that you always have the right to independently seek counsel before attending or participating in any type of student disciplinary process. Lawyers know rules, and know how to help you prepare for your conduct hearing, whether your allowed an advisor in the hearing under your handbook rules or not. Our preparation includes a full investigation of the circumstances, collection of witness statements or documents, review of the student conduct file, and instruction on effective participation during the conduct hearing.

More than that, our holistic criminal defense approach will ensure that we get to the root of the circumstance that lead to you (or your loved-one) being involved in the student disciplinary process to begin with so that we can empower you with the tools to recognize and avoid the situation in the future.

Contact us today to learn more about how our holistic criminal defense can be applied to protect you in a student misconduct hearing. We are here when you need us, 24/7/365.

Not sure if your handbook allows you to have an advisor present within you in the hearing? Check your handbook by clicking the links below:

• The Ohio State University
• Ohio Wesleyan University
• Ohio Dominican University
• Capital University
• Franklin University
• Columbus State Community College