Georgetown University Law Center Student Conduct & Academic Misconduct Defense

Georgetown Law maintains entirely separate academic integrity and student conduct procedures from the university-wide Georgetown Honor Council. JD and law-degree students are explicitly excluded from the Honor Council's jurisdiction.

The Law Center Student Handbook of Academic Policies (formerly the Georgetown Law Bulletin) is the sole governing document for Law Center academic rules, revised most recently in fall 2025.

The Law Center has its own Dean of Students office (ODOS) that serves as the primary administrative body for student conduct, academic integrity, and support at the law school.

Georgetown Law has a dedicated Deputy Title IX Coordinator specifically for Law Center students, separate from the university-wide Title IX structure.

Law Center students in dual-degree programs are generally subject to the Law Center's own procedures when the alleged misconduct occurs within the law sequence, and to the other unit's procedures when it occurs outside the law sequence.

Behavioral (non-academic) misconduct by Law Center students is noted in the university Code of Student Conduct as subject to Law Center-specific procedures, not the main campus community standards process.

Who handles academic misconduct cases at Georgetown Law?

Office of the Dean of Students, Georgetown University Law Center (ODOS) has jurisdiction over academic misconduct matters at Georgetown Law. The Law Center Dean of Students office administers academic integrity and student conduct matters for JD and LLM students. Georgetown Law maintains its own separate procedures from the university-wide Honor Council. The Law Center Student Handbook of Academic Policies is the governing document. All students enrolled at the Georgetown University Law Center (JD, LLM, and other graduate law programs). JD and law-degree students are explicitly carved out of the university-wide Honor Council system and subject to Law Center-specific procedures. The Georgetown University Code of Student Conduct separately governs non-academic behavioral misconduct and notes that the Law Center has separate procedures for behavioral issues.

What is the evidence standard at Georgetown Law?

Georgetown Law applies clear and convincing evidence of a violation, the standard under which a Student Disciplinary Code hearing panel may convict the charged student under Georgetown Law Student Handbook of Academic Policies (formerly the Georgetown Law Bulletin) (UNVERIFIED: needs human research). Office of the Dean of Students, Georgetown University Law Center uses this standard when determining whether a student is responsible for an alleged violation. The evidence standard is critical because it determines how strong the evidence must be before a finding of responsibility can be made.

What rights do I have during a Georgetown Law conduct proceeding?

Under Georgetown Law Student Handbook of Academic Policies (formerly the Georgetown Law Bulletin), students facing a Office of the Dean of Students, Georgetown University Law Center proceeding have specific procedural rights, including the right to Written notice of the alleged violation as provided under the Law Center Student Handbook of Academic Policies; Access to the Law Center Dean of Students office for academic and personal support throughout any disciplinary process; Disability accommodations: students with a medical condition or disability may request reasonable accommodations by notifying the relevant administrative office in writing as early as possible; FERPA protections: communications regarding academic integrity allegations are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. Exercising these rights correctly from the first notice can materially affect the outcome of your case.

How is an academic misconduct case initiated at Georgetown Law?

Any member of the Georgetown Law community, including faculty, staff, or students, may report a suspected academic integrity violation. Faculty members are obligated to report apparent violations. Reports involving Law Center students are directed to the Law Center Dean of Students office, not to the university-wide Honor Council. The Law Center Student Handbook of Academic Policies governs the initiation and handling of such cases.

What sanctions can Georgetown Law impose for academic misconduct?

Office of the Dean of Students, Georgetown University Law Center can impose a range of sanctions depending on the violation, including warning, reprimand, probation, and more serious outcomes including suspension and expulsion. The specific sanction depends on the facts, the student's prior record, and any mitigating factors presented during the proceeding. Sanction-phase advocacy is often as important as the responsibility phase, since even a first finding can carry long-term consequences on transcripts and graduate school applications.

How do I appeal a decision at Georgetown Law, and what is the deadline?

The appeal deadline at Georgetown Law is UNVERIFIED: needs human research from the Law Center Student Handbook. For reference, the university-wide Honor Council deadline is seven days from receipt of the Faculty Chair's decision letter.. Appeals are permitted only from final dispositions, not from agreed dispositions approved by the Committee Chair. Within 15 calendar days after a hearing panel decides a disciplinary charge, either party may appeal to the full Professional Responsibility Committee by filing a written notice of appeal with the Registrar. The only grounds for appeal are a serious misreading of the Student Disciplinary Code, gross insufficiency of the evidence, or a gross impropriety that tainted the proceedings. Appeal grounds typically include unverified: needs human research from the law center student handbook. for reference, the university-wide honor council requires either new evidence not available before the hearing, or a significant violation of honor system procedures, as grounds for appeal.. Appeals that succeed are usually the ones that ground each argument in the record and the specific policy language, not emotional or general objections.

Do I need a lawyer for a Georgetown Law Office of the Dean of Students, Georgetown University Law Center proceeding?

In most cases, no. Georgetown Law's proceedings follow university policy under Georgetown Law Student Handbook of Academic Policies (formerly the Georgetown Law Bulletin), not the legal system. What you need is someone who understands Georgetown Law's specific procedures, the evidence standard, and how sanctions are assessed. An education advocate typically provides stronger, more targeted guidance than a general-practice attorney because the body of law here is university policy, not criminal or civil procedure. AdvocatED brings deep, specialized expertise in these exact processes at a fraction of a law firm's cost.

How does Georgetown Law handle Title IX cases?

Georgetown Law handles Title IX matters separately from general academic misconduct, through the Office of Title IX Compliance (university-wide), with a dedicated Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Law Center Studies. Georgetown University has a university-wide Title IX Coordinator and Director of Title IX Compliance housed in the Office for Equal Opportunity Compliance (OEOC), M-36 Darnall Hall, 37th and O Streets NW, Washington DC 20057, phone (202) 687-9183, email titleixoeoc@georgetown.edu. The Law Center has its own designated Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Law Center Studies, located at 600 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001, phone (202) 662-9803, email lisa.curtis@georgetown.edu. Law Center students may report sexual misconduct through the Title IX Coordinator, a Deputy Coordinator, or the Georgetown Law Department of Public Safety. Sexual misconduct complaints are handled separately from academic integrity matters under the Law Center Student Handbook's grievance procedures for Law Center students. Georgetown prohibits sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Title IX proceedings have their own procedures, evidence standards, and timelines. If you are a respondent in a Title IX case at Georgetown Law, you should not conflate the process with general conduct cases, and you should respond carefully to any notice you receive.

What are the most common academic misconduct violations at Georgetown Law?

At Georgetown Law, the most frequently cited violations include: plagiarism (intentional or unintentional passing off another's words or ideas as one's own); unauthorized assistance on examinations, tests, quizzes, papers, or special assignments; copying or offering unauthorized information during assessments; academic fraud: submitting false data, fabricated citations, or forged academic documents. Knowing which violation is alleged is the foundation of an effective defense, because the response strategy differs substantially based on whether the case involves plagiarism, AI use, exam cheating, collaboration, or a procedural technicality.

What are the key deadlines in a Georgetown Law conduct case?

At Georgetown Law, the most consequential deadlines are: UNVERIFIED: needs human research. Specific procedural deadlines (notice periods, response windows, appeal deadlines) for Law Center students are set in the Georgetown Law Student Handbook of Academic Policies and were not retrievable in full text during this research session; Student Handbook revisions: most recently revised September 26, 2025 and November 24, 2025 for the current academic year; Graduation impact: open cases may affect diploma conferral timing even if they do not affect participation in the May graduation ceremony. Missing any of these windows can eliminate procedural options that are otherwise available. If you have received a notice from Office of the Dean of Students, Georgetown University Law Center, document the dates on the notice immediately and calendar every deadline, even ones that do not seem urgent.