Getting through college without any legal problems is a goal for most college students. However, many don’t think about the law until they’re in trouble.
In his book, The College Student’s Guide to the Law ($14.95, Taylor Trade Publishing), C.L. Lindsay III explores every possible legal snafu college students could find themselves in. He gives advice on not only how to deal with various situations but also how to avoid problems.
Lindsay’s surprising humor and a conversational tone, along with his knowledge of what college is really like for students, make the book both easy to read and apply to college life.
“Lying facedown on your bathroom floor mumbling ‘I’ll never drink again’ over and over isn’t the worse possible ending to a Saturday night. Lying facedown on a prison floor mumbling the same thing beats it by a mile. Take steps to make sure your partying keeps you on the right side of the law and out of Cell Block 28,” Lindsay writes in the beginning of the chapter every student will want to read: “Alcohol and parties.”
Lindsay, founder and executive director of the Coalition for Student and Academic Rights (CO-STAR) and a columnist for KRT Campus, sets the stage for the book with a brief review of the Constitution and Bill of Rights before delving into an even shorter history of college enforcement of rules.
The book is broken into three parts: The Law in the Classroom, The Law on Campus and The Law Off Campus – General Legal Issues for College Students.
Basic law advice is covered – what you should do if the police break up your party, if you’re arrested or if police want to search your property.
But Lindsay goes beyond the basics and helps students know their legal rights when it comes to getting a grade changed, avoiding academic dishonesty, organizing a protest on campus, or protecting yourself against identity theft.
Imbedded in the chapters are helpful sidebars like vocabulary lessons that define legal terms and “Your Lawyer Says,” which boils down the main point of the section, the most effective action or how to avoid more legal trouble.
At the end of the book, Lindsay debunks some common college urban legends – no, you won’t get automatic straight A’s for a semester if your roommate dies – and provides information for local lawyer referral services, listed by state and region, including any fees.
c 2005, Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

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