College or university conduct proceedings are purely administrative and operate quite differently than criminal court proceedings. While the exact nature of these proceedings differs slightly from one college to another, many of them share similar characteristics. The starkest contrast between criminal court and conduct code proceedings is the lack of rights and protections for the student accused of wrongdoing.
Students typically are not entitled to have attorneys represent their interests in these proceedings. The standard of proof is much lower in these proceedings; administrators need to show only that more likely than not, the student committed the conduct code violation. Without the assistance of a student defense attorney in Chattanooga, students could face maximum penalties for any findings of guilt.