Academic Dishonesty Lawyer

Home of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook and many other prestigious higher education institutions, Long Island’s Suffolk County draws tens of thousands of students from all across the globe each year. Students who attend our local colleges and universities are afforded tremendous opportunities, but the state of their future often hangs in the balance. If they work hard and succeed, they are supposed to be rewarded, but even a single accusation of college cheating can jeopardize this promise.

College Student In LibraryIf a student is accused of academic dishonesty in the midst of their program, they risk not being able to graduate on time and not being able to secure acceptance to their preferred post-graduate institution. Even more concerning, many employers are now requesting access to applicants’ student records, meaning that an academic integrity violation could prevent someone from getting the job they always dreamed of.

The good news is that you, as a student, have rights. Your school is required to spell out in writing the grounds for pursuing an academic integrity violation charge, the consequences of a positive finding, the standards of evidence needed to prove such a charge, and the student’s rights during the judiciary process.

A Suffolk County academic dishonesty lawyer from TonaLaw can help you research your student rights and prepare a defense against academic dishonesty charges. We have successfully helped Stony Brook University students defend against unfounded college cheating accusations, and we can help you. Call us today at 1-833-TONALAW or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation case review.

More People Have Access to Your Academic Record Than You Might Think

Many students get intimidated when they are charged with a violation of their school’s ethics policies. They may think that going along with an investigation and confessing any and all wrongdoing is the best strategy to take. In truth, your accusers may lack the standing or the evidence to prove their charges, and your school judiciary may be misinterpreting the school’s own policies. 

By consenting to an academic dishonesty finding, you are waiving your right to defend yourself against charges, according to the letter of your school’s bylaws, policies, and ethics guidelines. What’s more, you are giving the school permission to put a negative mark on your academic record that can tarnish your reputation forever.

Laws like the Federal Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 protect students from being forced to disclose their academic records in many instances. However, any time a student is transferring or a law enforcement agency wants to see records that may be relevant to an investigation, your school is required to disclose all records. 

Furthermore, most post-graduate schools and many top-level employers are now making academic records releases a standard part of the application process. Refusing to disclose your records in full can make you ineligible for consideration for a medical school, law school, grad school, and even many professional careers. Law enforcement agencies are especially interested in a student’s ethical history, meaning that a single academic dishonesty finding can jeopardize your intended career path.

While you may hope that a school or employer won’t ask for your records, there’s always the risk that they will. In that light, it’s better to be proactive to prevent a finding from occurring in the first place. You can work with a student judiciary defense lawyer in Suffolk County to prepare yourself for your hearing, scrutinize the evidence being used against you, and defend against your charges using all rights afforded to you by school policy as well as state and federal laws.

TonaLaw Helped a Stony Brook Student Keep Their Academic Career on Track

TonaLaw is a trusted, well-established law firm based in Islip, Suffolk County. Our experience with litigation and policy has prepared us for situations where internal disputes occur, including disputes related to student conduct at a higher learning institution.

In one recent case, a student at Stony Brook University hired us to represent them after they were accused of college cheating. A professor charged the student with colluding to cheat on an exam.

A TonaLaw academic dishonesty attorney reviewed the student’s entire academic record, including their pre-hearing statement that disputed all charges. We helped the student prepare a compelling opening statement on their position within the matter and also prepared them for questioning by the committee. Furthermore, we reviewed the school’s code of conduct and policies regarding the rules of evidence.

With this preparation, the student went into their hearing confidently and assertively. The client also had their attorney in attendance during the virtual Academic Judiciary Hearing to provide them with counsel as needed. Through our guidance, the student was able to convincingly establish that the professor alleging the infraction could not prove the case using clear and convincing evidence. 

Once the student’s case was presented in full, a representative of the University moved to dismiss all charges mid-hearing. The student was cleared, allowing them to graduate on time and apply to the graduate programs of their choice without delay.

All TonaLaw Academic Dishonesty case studies:

Defending Suffolk County Higher Education Students From Academic Dishonesty Accusations

Suffolk County is large and well-known for its outstanding academic institutions. Schools like SUNY Stony Brook and Briarcliffe College draw thousands of local, out-of-state, and international students every semester. Their extensive campuses and laudable programs helped train generations of new doctors, lawyers, engineers, researchers, and other career professionals.

Top Schools in Suffolk County

  • Briarcliffe College
  • Briarcliffe College Patchogue
  • Dowling College
  • Farmingdale State College
  • Five Towns College
  • Katharine Gibbs School Melville
  • St. Joseph’s College (Brooklyn/Patchogue, New York)
  • Stony Brook Southampton
  • Stony Brook University
  • Suffolk County Community College
  • Touro College
  • Touro College and University System

Work With a Compassionate Student Advocate Lawyer Who Wants You to Succeed

Our future prospects are precious, and just one adverse event can impact them. Students who are accused of an academic integrity violation should be willing to examine their charges in full and defend themselves to the highest extent allowed by their school’s policies. If a student thinks their state or federal legal rights are being violated, it’s possible for the student to go outside of the school’s judiciary process and pursue litigation.

At TonaLaw, we take academic misconduct accusations very seriously. We know that many students go into hearings and investigations unprepared and unaware of their rights. We want to change that, so our clients are given the information and legal strategies they need to maturely and confidently address their academic dishonesty charges head-on.

If you are facing disciplinary action or are being called to a judiciary hearing in regard to academic dishonesty, do not hesitate to reach out to an experienced counsel with the ability to help you research and prepare your case. Call TonaLaw today at 1-833-TONALAW or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation case review with a lawyer in Suffolk County near you.

Click To Download Academic Dishonesty Ebook

What Our Clients Are Saying

Excellent5.0 Based on 381 reviews from review us onJennifer CaceresJennifer Caceres ★★★★★ I highly recommend using tonalaw. Lauren and Jada are amazing. Any questions or concerns I had they answered. I am happy I choose tonalaw .Response from the ownerThank you so much for your review Jennifer! We are so glad to hear that you were pleased with our responsiveness and thoroughness in addressing your questions and concerns. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to providing our clients with the best possible legal representation. Thank you again for your kind words. We are honored to have you as a client. Carlos UmanaCarlos Umana ★★★★★ Excelente atención buena comunicación contestan mis preguntas con sinceridadResponse from the ownerThank you so much for your review Carlos! Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we will continue to strive to provide you and all of our customers with the outstanding service you deserve. Yanira Del ValleYanira Del Valle ★★★★★ Mr. Tona is such a wonderful human and attorney. So helpful, without a second thought, he shares his knowledge and experience. He helps makes this Plaintiff community a better one. Thank you!!!Response from the ownerThank you Yanira! It was so great meeting you. Marvin SortoMarvin Sorto ★★★★★ TonaLaw is a very reputable firm. Ana is such a great asset to the firm. She is also bilingual with many years of experienceResponse from the ownerThank you for your kind words Marvin! gary gundersengary gundersen ★★★★★ I’ve been to tona law several times already and I’ve had the pleasure to deal with Ana both time and she was amazing. Made sure all paperwork was in order and is super thorough with everything. Highly recommendedResponse from the ownerThank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experience with us at Tona Law. We are so glad to hear that you were pleased with the services provided by Ana. We are committed to providing our clients with the highest quality legal representation, and we are always striving to exceed expectations. Jennifer PorterJennifer Porter ★★★★★ Tom Tona puts so much emphasis and effort into developing a fantastic law firm, delivering excellent results for their clients and also staying at the forefront of law firm management skills. I am super impressed by my conversation and interaction with Tom and am happy to recommend him!Response from the ownerJennifer, thank you so much for this wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you were impressed with your conversation and interaction with Tom. We strive to provide a positive and supportive experience for all of our clients, and we are so glad to hear you had such a positive interaction with Mr. Tona. Thank you again for your kind words. Janet SowinskiJanet Sowinski ★★★★★ Lauren, one of the paralegals at Tona Law is very knowledgeable, compassionate and very professional. She genuinely cares for her clients and is always willing to go the extra mile to help. Having known her for several years, i can confidently recommend both Lauren and Tona Law to anyone seeking great assistance.Carmen SandovalCarmen Sandoval ★★★★★ Quiero darles las gracias por haberme representado en mi caso, felizmente estos abogados lograron ganar ni caso, y estoy muy satisfecha por su gran trabajo, hablan español y la señorita Ana es muy atenta y cordial y amable con sus clientes, muchisinas gracias x sus servicios ademas de ser rapidos, nos ayudan mucho especialmente a las personas qué sólo hablamos español, les recomiendo este servicio de abogados muy honestos. Muchas gracias👌😘Miguel MenaMiguel Mena ★★★★★ Ana is extremely knowledgeable and a great asset to your firm! Definitely will be coming back.Sandie RivasSandie Rivas ★★★★★ Ana is amazing! Working with her was extremely enjoyable. She is a great asset to Tonalaw and always eager to help!Darwin RomeroDarwin Romero ★★★★★ Ana was an absolute pleasure. She was incredibly knowledgeable and thoughtful throughout the entire process. Highly recommend!Emma SortoEmma Sorto ★★★★★ Ana is a wonderful personal. She is very talented and very hardworking. Best thing is that she is bilingual! Always willing to help anyone who is in need of a hand! You are in great hands at Tona Law!nicole garcianicole garcia ★★★★★ Couldn’t recommend Lauren more!!! I’ve known Lauren for years, she is a dedicated, hard worker and is so professional when it comes to her job. She really cares about her clients and doing the best for them.Dolceprincipessa xoDolceprincipessa xo ★★★★★ I highly recommend Will Ramos as a lawyer. He is a true professional. He explained my options with me and was very accessible & kept me updated! I also had the pleasure of working with Jayden. She was great as well. They assisted with my case and helped me tremendously! Highly recommend :)yessenia lopez ramosyessenia lopez ramos ★★★★★ I have know Attorney Will Ramos for many years. He is very detail oriented, a great advocate, and an empathetic individual.I have referred a few clients during their time of need over to Will and the friendly staff at Tona Law. He is willing to go above and beyond for others.CARLOS RODRIGUEZCARLOS RODRIGUEZ ★★★★★ I have known Will Ramos for 15 plus years and can attest to his character in placing the needs for others above his own. He is an asset to any organization and a team player with positive attitude.Jessica MalaveJessica Malave ★★★★★ I’ve known attorney Will Ramos for 16 years he always places the needs of others above his own. He is a caring man and super understanding and has a big heart.Bianca RamosBianca Ramos ★★★★★ Attorney Will Ramos is awesome the law firm is lucky to have someone like him part of their team. He genuinely cares for others and is always willing to lend a helping hand.Response from the ownerBianca, thank you for leaving a wonderful review for our firm. We are lucky to have Will Ramos as part of our team! Arianna RamosArianna Ramos ★★★★★ Attorney Will Ramos is nothing short of dedicated and hard working. Each case he works on demonstrates his passion for law and his care for his clients.Response from the ownerThank you for your review, Arianna! Will Ramos has been a wonderful asset to our team. JenneferJennefer ★★★★★ I've had the pleasure of knowing Lauren for quite a while now, and I must say, her dedication to her clients is truly remarkable. She takes immense pride in her work as a professional she seamlessly balances her role at Tona Law, where she's involved in legal matters. Having seen her commitment and skill firsthand, I can confidently recommend both Lauren and Tona Law to anyone seeking top-notch assistance.Celine Aubry-DumandCeline Aubry-Dumand ★★★★★ I had a great experience working with TonaLaw.The team was really friendly and helpful throughout the entire process.Response from the ownerCeline, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review for our firm. We are so grateful we were able to help you and provide you with a great experience. Thank you! Adam OmallyAdam Omally ★★★★★ I have known Lauren one of the paralegals at Tona law for many years and she is dedicated to her profession and helping her clients. Wonderful person.Alexandra DevineAlexandra Devine ★★★★★ Lauren at TonaLaw was extremely helpful! She was so nice and professional. I highly recommend asking for her!Margaret CaschettaMargaret Caschetta ★★★★★ I have known Lauren for a long time and she’s always been dedicated to her job! Excellent at anything she’s ever done.NICOLE GUASTONICOLE GUASTO ★★★★★ Lauren’s great- reliable empathetic the whole package - years of knowing her I wouldn’t ask for anyone elsejs_loader