8.1 Conduct Expectations

The Law School and the UW-Madison community strive to provide a positive learning environment and quality of life for our students. The expectations of law students include:

• Your consistent practice of civility toward others
• Your respect for the expression of diverse opinions
• Your insistence on academic honesty and integrity
• Your demand that all members of the university be accepted and judged as individuals without regard to their race, sex, religion, color, creed, disability, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, or age.
• Your efforts to insure that the community is safe from violence, harassment, fraud, theft, disruption, and intimidation

The UW-Madison policy on Expressive Activity states: "The UW-Madison is a public university and, as a matter of law and institutional values, is dedicated to the principles of free speech and free expression as protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and considers that dedication to be an essential part of its educational mission. Fulfilling the university’s mission requires that UW-Madison robustly protect the opportunity of our community to engage in expressive activity in a variety of ways and locations. We also have the responsibility to ensure that teaching, research, scholarship, service, and university-sponsored events can occur in a safe and orderly manner without disruption and in a manner that is open and welcoming." The entire policy may be found here.

8.2 UW-Madison Dean of Students Office-Dean on call

A staff member from the Dean of Students office is on-call daily for walk-in appointments, phone calls, and emails: Contact Information for the Dean of Students Office.

Below are some of the reasons a student may meet with the dean on-call:

• Academic distress due to personal issues
• Advocacy
• Assistance for victims
• Bias incidents
• Community support
• Complaints
• Concern about a student
• Conflict mediation
• Consultation
• Crisis loans
• Emergency/crisis situations
• Family emergency
• Personal safety needs
• Problem solving
• Resource referrals
• Questions

Students who believe they have been a victim of or witnessed a bias incident are encouraged to contact the Dean of Students Office, which serves as a Bias Report Coordinator. Report Bias or Hate to the Dean of Students Office.

8.3 Assistant Dean for Student Affairs

The Law School's Assistant Dean for Student Affairs is available to meet for any of the reasons listed in Section 8.2 or anything else a student would like to discuss, including academic, personal, family, health, mental health, or nonacademic issues. Students facing health, personal or academic issues, or with concerns about a peer, are encouraged to make an appointment with the Assistant Dean early. When available, the Assistant Dean also accepts walk-ins, and you can also call or email the Assistant Dean.

The  Assistant Dean for Student Affairs can also accompany a student who has a meeting in the Dean of Students Office, and can help connect students with resources at University Health Services (UHS), the Wisconsin Lawyers Assistance Program (WisLAP), and other campus and community resources. 

8.4 Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct, including--but not limited to--cheating, plagiarism, and falsifying information, may be grounds for discipline during law school. In addition to the Rules of the Law School, students are subject to the Student Conduct and Disciplinary Rules of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. An explanation of the UW campus rules is available at Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards: Academic Misconduct. Penalties for academic misconduct range from oral reprimands or lowered or failing grades to university disciplinary probation, suspension or expulsion from the university. View more information about the academic misconduct investigation process.

Academic misconduct is a very serious issue for prospective attorneys. This is one reason for the questions on your law school application regarding prior academic misconduct. You will also need to answer questions about academic misconduct when you apply for admission to practice law. The Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) will review your files if you seek admission to the Wisconsin bar: the BBE will expect to see complete disclosure of pre-law school academic misconduct in the files of the school. The BBE will also receive information about academic misconduct during law school from the University.

Academic misconduct also is possible grounds for denial of admission to the bar due to the questionable moral character reflected by the conduct. See Law School Rules: Appendix A, Law School Rules: Appendix B and Law School Rule 6.11: No Collaboration Policy.

8.5 Nonacademic Misconduct

The University of Wisconsin-Madison also has a code regarding nonacademic misconduct that applies to Law students.  Nonacademic misconduct can include sexual assault, stalking, hazing and harassment.  View more information about the nonacademic disciplinary procedures.

Violation of the code may result in penalties ranging from a written reprimand to expulsion. The University has a formal nonacademic misconduct process. See Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards: Nonacademic Misconduct. Nonacademic misconduct is also possible grounds for denial of admission to the practice of law. When you apply for admission to practice law you will need to disclose completely all non-academic misconduct incidents, including any that occur during law school.

8.6 Late Disclosure of Academic or Nonacademic Misconduct

As indicated in Section 8.4, you will be required to provide information on academic and nonacademic misconduct to the Board of Bar Examiners.  This will include disclosing information regarding misconduct that took place prior to Law School, and the BBE will compare your responses to your Law School application.  Thus it is imperative that you correct any omissions or misrepresentations in your application -- whether inadvertent or otherwise -- as early in your Law School career as possible.  Please contact Associate Dean of Admissions with any such disclosure.