Voicing Concerns

In the course of their education or employment, individuals may have complaints or concerns about University of Washington School of Law personnel, policies, or procedures. Resources that provide opportunities to express concerns and for the Law School to respond and improve.

• ABA Compliance
• Academic Grievance
• Honor Code
• Resources

Student Complaints Related to ABA Compliance

As an ABA-accredited law school, the School of Law is subject to the ABA Standards for Approval of Law Schools.  Under ABA Standard 510, any student at the School of Law may bring a formal complaint to the Law School administration "of a significant problem that directly implicates the school’s program of legal education and its compliance with the ABA Standards."  

Students seeking to file a formal complaint related to the program of legal education and compliance with the ABA Standards shall do the following: 

1. Submit the complaint in writing using this form, https://www.law.uw.edu/aba-complaint-form
2. Describe in detail the significant problem that is the subject of the complaint and how the problem directly implicates the school’s program of legal education and compliance with specific ABA Standard(s). 
3. Provide the name, official Law School email address, and street address of the complaining student, for further communication about the complaint. 

When the Associate Dean for Academic Administration receives a student complaint, the following procedures will be followed: 

Receipt of the complaint will be promptly acknowledged.   

1. Within two weeks of acknowledgment of the complaint, the Associate Dean for Academic Administration, or their designee, shall either meet or correspond with the complaining student, providing a written response to the complaint or informing the student that additional inquiry is needed. If further inquiry is needed, the student will be provided with an estimated date for the completion of the inquiry by the Law School.  
2. After the student receives the written response to the complaint, an appeal may be made to the Dean of the Law School. Any decision made on appeal by the Dean shall be final. 
3. A copy of the complaint and a summary of the process and resolution of the complaint shall be kept in the Dean's office for a period of ten years from the date of final resolution of the complaint.