Complaint Procedure
1. Who may file a complaint?
A student must file a complaint against another student when he suspects that student has committed a violation of the Honor Code.
Complaints may also be filed by “other members of the College of Law Community.” This includes faculty, staff, administration, instructors, etc.
2. Who may a complaint be filed against?
A complaint may be filed against any student of the College of Law. This includes any person admitted, accepted for admission, seeking admission or readmission, or enrolled in the College of Law. “Student” also includes a student from another law school taking a course or participating in a program at the Loyola University College of Law.
3. What is the form of an appropriate complaint?
The complaint must:
(a) Be in writing
(b) Be signed by the complainant
(c) Include as much of the following as possible:
(i) The date, time, and place of the alleged violation
(ii) The name(s) of the person(s) involved in the violation
(iii) The name(s) of any witness(es)
(iv) A statement specifying with reasonable particularity the conduct or actions giving rise to a suspected violation of the Honor Code
See the sample complaint provided on the Honor Board website for illustration.
4. Is there a time limit for filing a complaint?
Yes. There is a prescriptive period of 10 official class days from the alleged violation or discovery thereof. This period is suspended during weekend, school holidays, and the summer semester. Prescription for suspected violations occurring during final examinations or within 10 days of an official examination period is suspended until the first day of the following session.
5. How do I file a complaint?
Once the complaint is complete, a signed copy must be submitted in a sealed envelope to the Chief Justice. This can be accomplished by:
(a) Hand delivery to the Chief Justice
(b) Mail (via United States Postal Service) to the Chief Justice at his home or to the College of Law
(c) Submission to a staff member or administrator in the Dean’s suite (who will then transmit the complaint to the Chief Justice)
(d) Submission to Professor Ciolino (the Honor Board Advisor) (who will then transmit the complaint to the Chief Justice)
In the interest of confidentiality, please do not place complaints in the Chief Justice’s folder on the third floor of the Law School.
6. Once I file a complaint, what happens?
You will probably be contacted by the Honor Board Co-Chair who is charged with the investigation. You will be questioned relative to your accusation and the facts surrounding it. Your identity will not be revealed to the accused student unless the investigation committee finds probable cause in your accusation. Depending on the course of the case, you may be called upon later to testify at a hearing or to give further information. You will be informed of the outcome of the Honor Board proceedings.
7. What if I have additional questions?
You may contact one of your respective Honor Board representatives for your class and division. This list is available on the Honor Board website. All Honor Board members are properly versed in Honor Board procedure and will be able to help you with your questions. Remember that Honor Board members are your liaison to the Honor Board; they are not the “honor police.” You may also contact one of the Honor Board officers for more technical questions.