C&F Freakout/Mental Health/Academic Misconduct Forum

[michelle2980]

In my 2L semester one I had a nervous breakdown/manic episode (first of my life and docs now think I'm bipolar.) Scariest thing I ever experienced as I literally was not myself for about two months...just totally, foolishly fearless, reckless, felt like life was a dream and nothing mattered. At that point I was heavily medicated with adderall for ADHD as well as prozac, which had been prescribed during my 1L year for panic attacks caused by all the adderall, and once the mania hit I stopped sleeping, started screwing around with my medications (going off prozac for weeks only to go back on, taking tons of adderall then none, it was a terrible scene). For the record, I'm now under the regular care of a psychiatrist and therapist, who think the meds I was on made me manic, and I'm back to sanity.

I have a private room during exams due to ADHD. During the manic phase I was sitting literally right next to the proctor during a closed book exam, and I forgot to put my outline away. I then got up to go to the bathroom. When I came back she accused me of cheating. I know this sounds nuts, but it was an honest mistake. I met with the Deans and in my manic state thought everything would be fine, no need to argue with their recommendations for how to resolve the issue. So I signed a letter agreeing that I'd get an F on the exam, have to take a semester off, and that the allegations of misconduct would be part of my record and submitted to C&F. The letter stated that I referred to the outline on my desk periodically (I didn't) and that, whether or not I utilized it, my conduct violated the student code of professional responsibility.

Now, I'm regretting signing the letter. I do have an email with the Dean voicing my concern about the line that I referred to the outline periodically, as well as his response that the line made no difference, but I don't know if the email makes any difference.

Basically I'm now terrified that if I return to school as planned in the fall, I will go through the remaining three semesters, graduate, take the bar, and fail C&F.

Any thoughts?

[ClubberLang]

Not speaking with any authority on the C&F matter, sounds serious but not impossible to overcome. Even if you could get through C&F, though, what are your employment goals? I'd think the F on your transcript and subsequent absence would be a big red flag to employers. Depending on your career goals, returning to school might not be worth the cost. Sorry to hear about your troubles, and hope you are feeling better.

[Clyde Frog]

In my 2L semester one I had a nervous breakdown/manic episode (first of my life and docs now think I'm bipolar.) Scariest thing I ever experienced as I literally was not myself for about two months...just totally, foolishly fearless, reckless, felt like life was a dream and nothing mattered. At that point I was heavily medicated with adderall for ADHD as well as prozac, which had been prescribed during my 1L year for panic attacks caused by all the adderall, and once the mania hit I stopped sleeping, started screwing around with my medications (going off prozac for weeks only to go back on, taking tons of adderall then none, it was a terrible scene). For the record, I'm now under the regular care of a psychiatrist and therapist, who think the meds I was on made me manic, and I'm back to sanity.

I have a private room during exams due to ADHD. During the manic phase I was sitting literally right next to the proctor during a closed book exam, and I forgot to put my outline away. I then got up to go to the bathroom. When I came back she accused me of cheating. I know this sounds nuts, but it was an honest mistake. I met with the Deans and in my manic state thought everything would be fine, no need to argue with their recommendations for how to resolve the issue. So I signed a letter agreeing that I'd get an F on the exam, have to take a semester off, and that the allegations of misconduct would be part of my record and submitted to C&F. The letter stated that I referred to the outline on my desk periodically (I didn't) and that, whether or not I utilized it, my conduct violated the student code of professional responsibility.

Now, I'm regretting signing the letter. I do have an email with the Dean voicing my concern about the line that I referred to the outline periodically, as well as his response that the line made no difference, but I don't know if the email makes any difference.

Basically I'm now terrified that if I return to school as planned in the fall, I will go through the remaining three semesters, graduate, take the bar, and fail C&F.

Any thoughts?

Why don't you send a pm to mike spivey

[michelle2980]

Thank you for your reply. I'm mainly in law school so that I can carry on the family business.

[Clyde Frog]

Thank you for your reply. I'm mainly in law school so that I can carry on the family business.

Yep, no problem. Good luck with everything.

[jrass]

How many times will you post the same story? If it's a false accusation I apologize, but how many bipolar 2L law students are getting suspended? Also, some of the key things here are consistent - dean is a bad actor, mental health, c&f freakout. For what it's worth, most women with bipolar disorder don't experience manic episodes so we're speaking one of every hundreds of people who went to law school, had their first manic episode and yada yada yada. If I'm wrongly accusing you I'm a big jerk, but the odds I'm wrong would be of the put a quarter in a slot machine, win a Lexus kind of odds.

You're basically saying that you plead guilty based on blind faith of being treated fairly, and that the dean took advantage by giving you a huge punishment. The truth is that even if you weren't suspended the issue would be the same thing. You have to report it and does suspension vs slap on the wrist make a big difference? Maybe, maybe not.

If you feel the dean took advantage of you in your manic state by not supplying you with counsel, you could probably sue but you're going to have to show that he knew/should've known you had a mental impairment. I think the fact that would work against you is if you were facing a charge for cheating, expulsion was presumably a possibility. Unless there was no evidence against you, you may not be able to show your decision to plead guilty was a consequence of being bipolar.

[michelle2980]

I've never posted before. I'm not saying the Dean did anything wrong. I'm just trying to make sense of what happened and figure out how to make a sensible decision going forward.

[encore1101]

IANAC&FL, but I don't think you should raise the "I didn't refer to the notes, even though I signed a document I did, I have an e-mail saying I didn't" defense. It makes you seem incapable of accepting responsibility for your actions, and that claim would be contradicted by your signed document.

The reason I would skip it is because it happened so recently so your contriteness (or lack thereof) would be a major factor in determining the effect it has on your C&F. If you claim you didn't do it, the Committee may see that as you failing to accept responsibility for your actions, or trying to blame others for your errors, etc. On the other hand, if you accept responsibility (without fully admitting it), the Committee may see it as you being able to make mature, responsible decisions.

For example, I would say something like:

"I was previously diagnosed with ADHD, for which I was prescribed adderall and prozac. An unknown side effect of those medications was that it I suffered from manic episodes. At the time, however, I did not know that I was experiencing manic episodes, or that the medications were causing them. During one such episode, I violated the student code of professional responsibility by leaving my outline out during a final exam. The proctor noticed the outline, and in order to resolve the issue, we agreed that I would receive an F on an exam and take a semester off."

But of course, the best answer is to consult a C&F lawyer. Maybe reach out to the Bar or your school and see if you're foreclosed from passing C&F. I don't think you are per se, but it depends on you handle it. Good luck.

[raven1231]

IANAC&FL, but I don't think you should raise the "I didn't refer to the notes, even though I signed a document I did, I have an e-mail saying I didn't" defense. It makes you seem incapable of accepting responsibility for your actions, and that claim would be contradicted by your signed document.

The reason I would skip it is because it happened so recently so your contriteness (or lack thereof) would be a major factor in determining the effect it has on your C&F. If you claim you didn't do it, the Committee may see that as you failing to accept responsibility for your actions, or trying to blame others for your errors, etc. On the other hand, if you accept responsibility (without fully admitting it), the Committee may see it as you being able to make mature, responsible decisions.

For example, I would say something like:

"I was previously diagnosed with ADHD, for which I was prescribed adderall and prozac. An unknown side effect of those medications was that it I suffered from manic episodes. At the time, however, I did not know that I was experiencing manic episodes, or that the medications were causing them. During one such episode, I violated the student code of professional responsibility by leaving my outline out during a final exam. The proctor noticed the outline, and in order to resolve the issue, we agreed that I would receive an F on an exam and take a semester off."

But of course, the best answer is to consult a C&F lawyer. Maybe reach out to the Bar or your school and see if you're foreclosed from passing C&F. I don't think you are per se, but it depends on you handle it. Good luck.

I agree with this approach. This allows you to own up to making a mistake, which happened either way you look at it, but also explains it in a way that doesn't make you sound deceptive.

[A. Nony Mouse]

How many times will you post the same story? If it's a false accusation I apologize, but how many bipolar 2L law students are getting suspended? Also, some of the key things here are consistent - dean is a bad actor, mental health, c&f freakout. For what it's worth, most women with bipolar disorder don't experience manic episodes so we're speaking one of every hundreds of people who went to law school, had their first manic episode and yada yada yada. If I'm wrongly accusing you I'm a big jerk, but the odds I'm wrong would be of the put a quarter in a slot machine, win a Lexus kind of odds.

You're basically saying that you plead guilty based on blind faith of being treated fairly, and that the dean took advantage by giving you a huge punishment. The truth is that even if you weren't suspended the issue would be the same thing. You have to report it and does suspension vs slap on the wrist make a big difference? Maybe, maybe not.

If you feel the dean took advantage of you in your manic state by not supplying you with counsel, you could probably sue but you're going to have to show that he knew/should've known you had a mental impairment. I think the fact that would work against you is if you were facing a charge for cheating, expulsion was presumably a possibility. Unless there was no evidence against you, you may not be able to show your decision to plead guilty was a consequence of being bipolar.

Dude, I understand the concern and why you thought that, but this isn't the person you're thinking of. Go win that Lexus.

(And women definitely have manic episodes.)

I also don't think they're saying that the dean took advantage of them - just that they didn't even explore any other possible resolution because they weren't in their right mind. In any case, I agree with encore, too.

[Manali]

OP, PM me. Went through a similar experience.