At Ratliff Jackson LLP, we built StudentRightsDefense.com to focus on one mission: protecting students when their education, reputation, and future are on the line. Our student defense lawyers defend students across the United States in cases involving academic misconduct, school discipline, and Title IX investigations. When a disciplinary letter, hearing notice, or academic integrity charge threatens everything you’ve worked for, we bring focus, precision, and advocacy to your side. As experienced student defense lawyers, we represent clients across the United States in cases involving academic misconduct, school discipline, and Title IX investigations.
Our student defense lawyers represent K–12, college, and graduate students in public and private institutions throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and nationwide. We handle matters involving suspension, expulsion, code of conduct violations, plagiarism and cheating allegations, sexual misconduct claims, and academic dismissal. These cases require more than guidance—they require legal representation that understands school policies, administrative law, and the constitutional and procedural rights that apply in educational settings.
Students and parents turn to us when the consequences are real. A disciplinary record can jeopardize admission to graduate school, future employment, or a professional license. Title IX findings can follow students for years, even after transferring or graduating. We respond quickly and strategically, working to protect your record, challenge unfair proceedings, and negotiate results that safeguard your future.
With offices in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and student rights defense lawyers licensed in Alabama, California, Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, our student defense lawyers combine national reach with local insight. Every case is prepared with the precision of student defense lawyers who understand how to build a record, preserve due process, and, when necessary, take action through litigation.
Our approach is focused, collaborative, and strategic. Our student defense lawyers work closely with families and students to understand the facts, assess the risks, and determine the best path forward—whether through negotiation, appeal, or courtroom advocacy. When educational institutions overstep, we hold them accountable. When students are unfairly accused, our student defense lawyers fight for their rights and their reputations.
If you or your child is facing a disciplinary hearing, Title IX investigation, or academic integrity allegation, contact our student defense lawyers today for immediate legal guidance. Call (856) 209-3111 or email intake@studentrightsdefense.com to schedule a confidential consultation with an attorney who understands the stakes and knows how to protect your future. Our student defense lawyers help clients navigate complex school and university disciplinary systems, ensuring due process and focused legal protection.
Terrell A. Ratliff is the co-founder and principal attorney of Ratliff Jackson LLP, a boutique litigation and education law firm known for handling some of the most complex student discipline and institutional defense matters across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. His practice centers on advising students, families, and professionals when institutional power threatens personal or professional futures—and his approach is grounded in clarity, discretion, and command of process.
Terrell doesn’t posture. He prepares. From navigating high-stakes Title IX proceedings, emergency disciplinary actions, and academic misconduct allegations to protecting students facing dual criminal-educational exposure, he is the attorney families call when the stakes are higher than a transcript and when reputation is as valuable as outcome.
Clients rely on Terrell for his ability to map institutional systems quickly, extract leverage quietly, and guide students through processes that often lack transparency or consistency. He brings courtroom-ready discipline to administrative hearings, and strategic neutrality to emotionally charged campus cases.
Licensed to practice in:
Students don’t just need someone to defend what they did or didn’t do—they need someone who can speak the language of the institution, protect their dignity, and safeguard their future. My job is to make sure the system hears them clearly, and that they’re never left unprepared.

As a trial lawyer in Camden County NJ, Terrell defends clients against drug charges, DWI, assault, weapons offenses, and white‑collar allegations. His litigation begins before arraignment and continues through motions, discovery, trial, and appeals. Every case is handled with the discipline of a courtroom advocate—even when cases resolve outside trial. Learn more about his criminal defense practice.
Schools and academic institutions move quickly, often without fair process. Terrell steps in as a trial lawyer in Camden County NJ to defend students, professors, and administrators in hearings, expulsions, Title IX investigations, and more. His advocacy aims to protect both educational standing and reputation. More on his student defense practice.
Many cases overlap jurisdictions—criminal charges may carry academic consequences; school discipline may implicate criminal statutes. Having one trial lawyer Camden County NJ who understands both school law and criminal law ensures your defenses are aligned, not fragmented.
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Too often, lawyers are unavailable when it matters most. As a trial lawyer Camden County NJ clients trust, Terrell takes a different approach. He invests fully in every case and remains personally accessible throughout the process. Clients choose Terrell as their trial lawyer Camden County NJ because they know he won’t disappear once the case begins—he stays engaged, responsive, and available when it counts. That level of access is rare, and it defines his role as a committed trial lawyer Camden County NJ.
Student Defense
80%
Criminal Defense
90%
Domestic Violence Defense
85%
Professional License Defense
95%
Personal Injury
87%
Civil Rights
87%
Civil Litigation
87%
We’re here when you need us. Reach out anytime for reliable legal support.