Me against the school

[Xamot]

I live in California and attend school at UCLA

I'll keep it brief, but I'm wondering how much it would cost to get a good Academic Lawyer for a lawsuit against the school for damages.

What happened was that I'm a student, I'm now a third year and I'm down 10 units or 2 classes, and I have a hold on my record therefore not allowing me to register for my classes. I'll keep the details short, but in general, I'd like to file damages caused by the hold on my record, and the counselors not lifting the hold so I could enroll in my classes for next quarter.

I'd like to know what I could file for, but I have a general idea. It is a really long and complicated story and I'm pretty confident about my claim, which I'm doing research for now.

 

[CdwJava]

Why is there a hold on your records?

The most obvious reason is, of course, you are in arrears to the university. Check out the Student Debt Grievance Procedure.

The rules are very obvious and up front. In the case of UCLA they are also on the internet.

If there is a "hold" on your record - thus preventing re-registration (a stated consequence as mentioned on their site) - then you will have to clear it before you can register and you have no grounds for a lawsuit at all.

- Carl

 

[Xamot]

I've been very reasonable. I have a hold on my record simply due to mistakes my first two years, by dropping classes. It finally caught up to me where I am down 10 units, or 2 classes. The hold is something called "ECP" or Estimated Cumulative Progress" which only prevents me from registering classes.

Again I have been very reasonable to the counselors, they told me that I might miss my "first pass" that is to enroll in my first ten units because they're not taking the hold off if I don't bring in a summer school transcript. Fine, I was the bigger man and faxed in the request on that date, told the school to expediate it and it will come in a timely manner. However they're refusing to lift the hold until they receive the transcript, which will have severe consequences. It will not only delay my registration, but cause huge amounts of stress after doing all my schedule planning, etc.

I would like to seek legal action for this reason. All in all, the counselors aren't really helping me, if they were they would have offered me alternatives to a transcript. I'm not really behind at all in school, I have the rest of my classes planned out for my graduation in June 07. My graduation date is delayed if I can't get into the classes I need.

 

[HomeGuru]

I live in California and attend school at UCLA

I'll keep it brief, but I'm wondering how much it would cost to get a good Academic Lawyer for a lawsuit against the school for damages.

What happened was that I'm a student, I'm now a third year and I'm down 10 units or 2 classes, and I have a hold on my record therefore not allowing me to register for my classes. I'll keep the details short, but in general, I'd like to file damages caused by the hold on my record, and the counselors not lifting the hold so I could enroll in my classes for next quarter.

I'd like to know what I could file for, but I have a general idea. It is a really long and complicated story and I'm pretty confident about my claim, which I'm doing research for now.

**A: you need to tell us the reason for the hold. Make your statement short, brief and non complicated.

 

[Gadfly]

How is it that you thing you are being reasonable. You messed up. It caught up with you and now you want everyone to treat you like you are someone special? It's time to grow up. In the adult world you do what is expected of you or you take you lumps when you don't.

 

[CdwJava]

What do you believe are the LEGAL grounds for your lawsuit? It sounds as if you have run afoul of the school's policies ... this is not grounds for a lawsuit.

You can consult a local attorney on the issue if you wish, but I do not think that money would be well spent. It might be better to concentrate on resolving the problem and counting on an extra semster in school.

- Carl

 

[Xamot]

How is it that you thing you are being reasonable. You messed up. It caught up with you and now you want everyone to treat you like you are someone special? It's time to grow up. In the adult world you do what is expected of you or you take you lumps when you don't.

You're an idiot, please don't reply to my thread again. I messed up, I actually had a 4 year plan to graduate, but since this ECP thing haulted my class registration for the following quarter, it DELAYED my graduation to another quarter causing much bigger financial burden. It's not that I didn't have a solution to the problem, I was denied of that solution, thanks now get lost.

 

[Xamot]

What do you believe are the LEGAL grounds for your lawsuit? It sounds as if you have run afoul of the school's policies ... this is not grounds for a lawsuit.

You can consult a local attorney on the issue if you wish, but I do not think that money would be well spent. It might be better to concentrate on resolving the problem and counting on an extra semster in school.

- Carl

I'd like a price quote, I believe I have a firm case. Not only did I propose my solution, I've done everything in my power to resolve it. I expediated my transcript, I proposed my 4 year graduation plan, what more do they want? From my point of view, they're not trying to help me. The price for an attorney would clearly be cheaper than another $7,000 in tuition + rent / food, etc.

 

[CdwJava]

Well, it might cost you around $5,000 and you'd be in to the next semester before it got to the first court hearing anyway.

An attorney MIGHT be willing to send a few letters to the school for a price ... but, it might still cost you between $2,000 and $5,000 for even an inquiry in to the matter.

Sorry, but I just don't see that you have grounds for a suit. You are not being discriminated against based on a protected class. if you think you have a breach of contract suit because the school is NOT following their own rules and guidelines, you might have something. But if they are following their guidelines, you're done.

Contact a local attorney for more ... and be prepared to bring a checkbook for a consultation.

- Carl

 

[dallas702]

What's so hard to understand here? You have not performed in accordance with the school's policies. That has caused them to take action that is prescribed by their guidelines, and that has inconvenienced you. You are one of thousands of students that have to operate within their guidelines so the university can function without total chaos. Your choice of words makes it sound as though you think you are doing them some favor by trying to get back on track. It appears they have given you specific instructions and you have not complied. Why do you expect preferential treatment?

BTW: the word is "expedited", not "expediated".

 

[BelizeBreeze]

You have no LEGAL case.