Student Defense & Title IX Cases

There is a distinct advantage to hiring a professional advisor in school disciplinary proceedings, particularly a lawyer with litigation and criminal defense experience. Attorney Zito is proficient in understanding the applicable procedural rules and laws, including Title IX’s ever-changing regulations. She often corrects schools’ and universities’ missteps prior to any hearing preventing additional unfairness. Further, her knowledge allows her to spot procedural errors in cases often brought to her for the first time on appeal; the sooner she begins advising you or your student, the better. Appeals are very limited in scope, and undoing a finding of responsibility is much harder than preventing one! Hiring Attorney Zito to advise students at the beginning of the investigation offers the best potential for a good outcome; cases are often lost by a student’s statements in the very first interview. Attorney Zito effectively prepares students for the interview, informing the rest of the investigation. She then assists students in gathering evidence to support their case and in their response to the Investigation Report and evidence. She works with students in preparing their hearing statements and readies them for questioning. Even when she cannot directly participate in the proceedings, her work behind the scenes is critical to success.

Currently, in Title IX cases, lawyers are permitted to directly participate in the proceedings through cross-examination of the parties and any witnesses at the hearing. Attorney Zito’s extensive experience cross-examining police officers and witnesses in court and in administrative hearings over the years leads to proven better results for students. Through effective cross-examination, she is often able to bring the case to a successful conclusion. Even in cases where she is not permitted to actively participate in the proceedings, she enables the student to point out discrepancies in the evidence and credibility issues of the witnesses through effective opening and closing statements. Professional, experienced advising is essential for effective advocacy for students in these highly consequential proceedings where students have little due process and high stakes in the outcome.

Violations and sanctions can negatively impact students’ graduate school applications, ability to transfer schools, and ability to become licensed in certain fields, such as the medical or legal fields, and can result in job loss or lost future job prospects. For these reasons, hiring a professional advisor is essential to obtain the best results. Over the past several years, Attorney Zito has had such proven success advising students in disciplinary matters that school lawyers —those usually on the other side—often refer her business; she is a mother of 3 young adults and will fight for you or your student as if they were one of her own.

Attorney Zito treats each of her clients individually and with consideration for their personal circumstances. She has considerable experience representing people who suffer from mental health issues, developmental disabilities, and or substance abuse issues, and does so with compassion. She has worked successfully with multiple experts over the years to assist with the defense of these cases appreciating the interplay of the disorders on a person’s conduct and understanding of cultural norms and rules. She believes treatment over punishment is warranted where the State can prove its case, and that disorders can often explain and or excuse the misconduct alleged. She insists on a personal approach to each of her clients tailoring their defenses accordingly.