You began college with excitement and hope for the future. Maybe your dream is to become a doctor, lawyer, entrepreneur, or scientist. You have done the hard work to start making that happen, but now your goals are on the line because of an alleged academic misconduct violation.
Whether you are innocent of the charges or had a lapse of judgement and just made a mistake, you could benefit from discussing the situation with an experienced Attorney. A Ft. Lauderdale academic misconduct Lawyer is familiar with the proceedings you are facing and can go over what to expect. A Leifert & Leifert Attorney can assist you in defending yourself so you can reclaim your future and professional goals.
Kinds of Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct can involve various actions that take place in an educational setting, including:
- Plagiarism
- Cheating
- Stealing tests
- Sharing tests
- Making up data
- Having someone else write a paper
- Using a prohibited device during a test
- Receiving unpermitted help on an assignment
What constitutes academic misconduct at a given school varies and is generally set in the school’s code of conduct, honor code, or academic integrity policy. A Lawyer in Ft. Lauderdale can help a student accused of academic misconduct review and understand the relevant materials–which can sometimes be highly detailed and technical–and assist in formulating a defense.
Academic Misconduct Consequences
Depending on the school policy and the people involved in making academic misconduct decisions, penalties can be severe and long-lasting. Consequences might include getting a failing grade in the class, receiving a reprimand, placement on academic probation, ethics training, or even expulsion in the most serious cases.
Moreover, an academic misconduct violation can become part of a student’s permanent academic record, which can adversely impact the student’s ability to get into law school, medical school, or graduate school. A Ft. Lauderdale attorney can help minimize the lasting damage that can result from an academic misconduct accusation.
Academic Misconduct Process
Academic misconduct violations are not handled in a court of law. They are settled at school in accordance with school policies. Specific policies and procedures vary from school to school and can be either simple or complex. Many involve some level of notice, investigation, and review. Some include meetings with the teacher or a school administrator. They can also involve a hearing before a panel of faculty and students.
Some college and university academic misconduct procedures allow an accused student to be assisted in the process by an advisor, such as an Attorney. A Legal Representative’s involvement in the process will often be limited. Regardless of how active of a role the Attorney can play, for someone accused of academic misconduct in Ft. Lauderdale, consulting with a Lawyer is useful. An experienced Attorney can provide guidance throughout the process.
Contact a Ft. Lauderdale Academic Misconduct Attorney for Help
Academic misconduct allegations can be frustrating, scary, and sometimes unfair. You might be innocent, or you had a lapse of judgement or made an honest mistake. Whatever happened, the future you have worked so hard for could be in jeopardy. With so much on the line–and because these proceedings can move quickly and be hard to remedy later–you want to consider getting an Attorney involved as soon as possible.
The stakes are high, so you want the right Ft. Lauderdale academic misconduct lawyer in your corner. Call Leifert & Leifert for a consultation today.
