Student Complaint Process

Student Complaint Process & Form

Student Complaints Implicating Compliance with the Standards

American Bar Association (ABA) Standard 510 requires each law school to publish and comply with policies regarding student complaints that address the school's program of legal education.

Accordingly, as an ABA-accredited law school, McGeorge School of Law is subject to the ABA Standards for Approval of Law Schools. ABA Standard 510 may be found here (pdf). Any student at the law school who wishes to bring a formal complaint to the administration regarding a significant problem that directly implicates the school's program of legal education and its compliance with the ABA Standards, should do the following:

1. Submit the complaint in writing to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. The complaint may be sent via email, U.S. Mail, facsimile, or in person to the Office of the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.
   • Student Complaint Form (pdf)
   • Web-based form is below
2. The complaint should describe in detail the behavior, program, process, or other matter that is at issue, and should explain how the matter directly implicates the law school's program of legal education and its compliance with a specific, identified ABA Standard(s).
3. The complaint must contain the complaining student's name, his/her student ID#, his/her official law school email address, and his/her current mailing address.
   1. When an administrator receives a student complaint that complies with the foregoing requirements, the following procedures shall be followed:
      1. The Assistant Dean for Student Affairs will acknowledge the complaint within three business days of receipt. Acknowledgement may be made by email, U.S. Mail, or by personal delivery, at the option of the Assistant Dean.
      2. Within 10 business days of acknowledgement of the complaint, the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, or the Assistant Dean's designee, shall respond to the substance of the complaint, either in writing or in person, and shall indicate what steps are being taking by the law school to address the complaint. If further investigation is needed, the complaining student shall, upon conclusion of the investigation, be provided with substantive response to the complaint within 10 business days after completion of the investigation.
      3. Any appeal regarding a decision on a complaint shall be brought before the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Any appeal from the decision of the Associate Dean shall be brought before the Dean of the Law School. The decision of the Dean will be final. Any appeal must be brought within 10 business days from the date of the response by the Assistant Dean or the Associate Dean.
      4. A copy of the complaint and a summary of the process and resolution of the complaint shall be kept in the office of the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs for a period of eight years from the date of final resolution of the complaint.