College students have a new resource when it comes to learning about the law and their rights.
C.L. Lindsay III, also known as the "Keg Lawyer," published a book in August 2005 that instructs students on how to declare their rights in the situations they encounter in college.
"The College Student's Guide to the Law" includes guidelines for dealing with professors, suggestions for protecting one's privacy when living in a residence hall and tips for throwing a party without getting caught.
Lindsay, 34, is the founder of the Coalition for Student and Academic Rights, or CO-STAR, a non-profit network of lawyers. Their goal is to educate higher education communities about their rights under the law, according to their web site, www.CO-STAR.org.
Based in New Hope, Pa., CO-STAR offers legal counseling, dispute mediation services and on-campus seminars for colleges and universities across the United States. Clients can log onto the organization's website and fill out a form requesting legal advice. Its services are open to all members of the academic community, according to Lindsay.
Lindsay started the organization with a former professor from Denison University, Richard Hood, when Hood needed legal advice. When the men realized the shortage of lawyers advising academic communities, CO-STAR was born.
"We sat down and said, 'God, somebody should be doing this,'" Lindsay said.
Although he originally thought most of the questions CO-STAR would field would be from professors, students quickly became the main clientele, Lindsay said. He estimated that one out of every 200 inquiries received by CO-STAR is from a professor.
Lindsay said despite the variety of questions CO-STAR receives, certain issues are asked about frequently.
"There are two [main questions] that compete for the top spot," Lindsay said. "Grade grievances are really big ... and then the second issue covers a range of things regarding drinking and alcohol."
Lindsay decided to write the book after he saw the amount of students writing in for help, he said. CO-STAR receives between 8,000 and 10,000 inquiries a year.
"After all of the student requests for help, it wasn't a big logical leap," Lindsay said. "I'd much rather people have information about how not to get into trouble rather than how to get out of the trouble they're already in."
In addition to Lindsay's book, AU students have another resource at their disposal - the Student Advocacy Center, a division of the student government. SAC helps students deal with problems such as judicial affairs, academic complaints and problems with financial aid and campus housing, according to its brochure.
The majority of SAC's time is spent helping students who find themselves in trouble with the university's Judicial Affairs and Mediation Services, said Ben Turner, director of SAC.
"Most of the cases that we deal with are students violating the [university's] rules either blatantly or unknowingly," Turner said. "We can explain the process, what will happen and the best way to present yourself."
Students can opt to have an advocate sit in on a Judicial Affairs and Mediation Services conference that is held when a student violates school policy, but the advocate can not speak for the student, Turner said.
The Student Advocacy Center also published the "Before You Do Something Stupid Guide," which outlines students' right to privacy in the residence halls, among other things. The pamphlet was distributed by mail last April and given to freshmen at the start of this school year.
"Everybody should know their rights," Turner said. "Students can't enact their rights if they don't know them first."
Joe Arancio, a junior in the School of Communication, said that while he would not buy a book on his rights as a college student, it could be helpful for other students.
"I feel like when [freshmen] first come in they don't know their rights and then they tend to find out when they get in trouble for things," Arancio said. "In working for the University the past few years, I've learned a lot about what students' rights are ... A book like that would serve its purpose for students who haven't had that chance."
Sara Reddington, a freshman in SOC, said she would not buy a book on students' rights. "If I didn't know it, I'd probably just ask someone," she said.
