PhD Students

Testimonials

Please browse the testimonials below to see what our clients have to say about our outstanding legal services in:

PhD student researching the influence of early life factors on missing data in epidemiology using statistical analyses. Crucial aspects of research were carried out by the student without a supervisor or an expert in statistics, computer science or missing data and imputation. Following the viva, student was asked to make major corrections to be awarded PhD. After making corrections and resubmission, the joint examiners report had extensive corrections that the joint examiners wanted the student to make to be even awarded an MPhil. Seemed like a lost case because of academic judgment. RT Coopers instructed to draft appeal against the decision to award an MPhil. The case required knowledge of statistics and an understanding of missing data and epidemiology. Working closely with the student, RT Coopers drafted a robust appeal for submission. The appeal was upheld. First published in Google My Business Review (no link)

'I wish to start by saying a big thank you to RT coopers solicitors for their effort and hard work in ensuring that my academic appeal was successful. My case was very complex, meaning that it will be difficult to even get the MPhil which the examiners recommended. I was recommended for an MPhil by the examiners after the second viva, it was devastating, I was physically and psychologically impacted by the outcome of the viva with the belief that I have wasted meaningful years of my life pursuing a project (PhD) that at the end came to nothing. I was highly traumatised, dejected and felt that all I have worked for had been taken away from me. At this point, I decided to take up the option to appeal against the decision of the examiners.

The complex issue was that the examiners’ could not understand what my PhD was all about and the direction I was taking with my PhD studies. They recommended MPhil subject to satisfactory corrections. Looking at the correction list for the MPhil, it was very clear that the examiners did not even want to recommend me for an award of the MPhil. I started searching the internet for academic appeal lawyers. I came across RT coopers and read the reviews and decided to give them a call. I got Rosanna on the phone and in the course of the discussion, she asked me about my PhD. We had a meeting over skype to discuss in detail the PhD and the appeal process. She prepared Grounds of Appeal. The appeal was very detailed, it covered every aspect of my PhD. Irregularities were highlighted which led to the failure of my PhD. The examiners recommended MPhil subject to making recommended corrections to their satisfaction. To put in simple terms, they did not want me to get an MPhil. She was able to establish why their decision not to award me a PhD should not stand. What I have highlighted above is the summary, the appeal document was detailed and persuasive at the end, the appeal was upheld. I commend the effort of and work put in by RT coopers, I will highly recommend their services to any one looking for academic appeal lawyers'. Rose

PhD student unfairly excluded from university close to submission date because of unfairness and bias. RT Coopers was asked to assist in the preparation of the complaint to the OIA as the student had exhausted the internal procedures - OIA application took longer than usual due to the complexity of the case and sheer volume of documents - First Published in Google My Busines Review.

'There is no number of stars to qualify my satisfaction with RT Coopers. I would recommend RT Coopers to anyone, but anyone who requires a battle tested, committed, skillful lawyer who would not only go the extra mile, but go the extra thousand miles and who would work far beyond the money paid. I was attracted to RT Coopers by their overwhelming positive reviews on the internet. My thoughts were, with all these positive reviews, this must be an outstanding law chamber given the massive negative reviews some other chambers receive on the internet. And undoubtedly, after working with Dr Cooper, my assumptions were confirmed as RT Coopers proved to be a wonderful law chamber. I was withdrawn from my PhD studies during the final thesis submission for no reasons other than those of the University’s inadequacies. During the write-up stage, supervision was non-existent. I requested assistance from my supervisors several times but received none. The Registrar as well as the supervisors acknowledged the supervisors’ lack of grounded theory expertise – the methodology I deployed in my studies. Thus, I was left without supervision. There were plenty other inadequacies of the University too lengthy to list here. Yet, the University terminated my studies with an excuse of “unsatisfactory performance”. This was bizarre as my thesis was not assessed by anybody with grounded theory knowledge. Both my appeal and complaint to the University were summarily dismissed. The cold naked truth is that a student could do everything right but still be withdrawn from studies due to bias and mistakes of a University. I have had issues where legal representation was deterministic. Lawyers can make or break your case. One instance was when I parked my BMW and it was rammed into by a Post Office vehicle. The driver came down, viewed the damage, and drove away. Two witnesses (Bank workers viewing from their window) copied his plate number and reported him to the police. The police suspended his licence for the hit - and - run offence, but I lost the civil case due to an inexperience lawyer. The consequences were that I had to pay the lawyer out of pocket and paid for the repair of my vehicle all by myself. So, the value of a good lawyer cannot be over emphasized. Bear in mind, being innocent does not always translate to being found innocent in the court of law; several factors depend on your lawyer (Recht haben und Recht bekommen sind zwei unterschiedliche Dinge). I was most fortunate to work directly with Dr Cooper who directed the entire OIA complaint process. Dr Cooper informed me, first and foremost to make subject access request (SAR) to the University. I was already withdrawn at that time and had no access to my emails. Without the SAR, I could not have made my case. On the SAR form, I requested and was provided with every email that had my name on it. Then Dr Cooper worked with me to put the case together (143 pages in total). She revised and transformed the work into a faultless and persuasive piece of OIA complaint. Dr Cooper worked on my case relentlessly starting from early December through Christmas and all the way through Easter. She was sifting through the case to unearth new ideas and facts while displaying her tremendous sense of humor on Skype and phone calls. Working with Dr Cooper was awesome and throughout, she placed much emphasis on delivering a perfect work – an impeccable work ethic. Therefore, she would call me day and night and at weekends for clarifications and to answer questions regarding her findings in the work. I am indebted and forever grateful to Dr Cooper for the most exceptional piece of legal work of my lifetime'. Iyoriobhe Ajayi Ejiya

PhD student, who had upgraded from MPhil to PhD, was writing up thesis and was withdrawn from university after 4 years of studies before getting an opportunity to complete and submit thesis. RT Coopers on reviewing the case found that the student was withdrawn from university due to serious procedural irregularities on the part of the university. A consultation (via audio) was held with the student to particularise the grounds of appeal. The student drafted and submitted a stage 1 academic appeal which was rejected by the university. RT Coopers then drafted the stage 2 academic appeal on grounds of serious procedural irregularities, the academic appeal was accepted and a hearing was constituted. RT Coopers drafted the statement for the panel hearing and prepared the student for the hearing (it was important to prepare the student for the hearing due to the number of technical points that had to be brought out during the hearing). The student was not represented at the panel hearing. It took 4 months to get a decision. During this period, RT Coopers was guiding and supporting the student as there was a battle going on between the school and the panel as it transpired that the panel had upheld the appeal and the school was resisting the decision. RT Coopers prepared arguments over the 4 months for the student to send to the university with the intent to get back to university as well as supporting and guiding the student. The university eventually conceded and the student was allowed to continue. Without the level of guidance and support from RT Coopers for the student during the last 4 months, the student would not have had this positive outcome, despite the panel upholding the appeal - First published in Google My Business Review.

NB: It’s important to have a thorough understanding of the regulations, policies, codes of practice and procedures in order to succeed in your appeal.

'A year ago, I was in a very difficult place. I was withdrawn from the university’s course, and had just started the appeal system. I was lost and had to enter a process I barely understood. I then proceeded to contact various academic lawyers, many of whom declined. One just said (after a 15 minute discussion), “I estimate writing your appeal will be a 5-7 hour job, here’s a quote.” Then I contacted RT Cooper Solicitors, and reached Dr. Cooper. I spent an hour discussing what happened, going into depth and detail about every nook and cranny of the case. This was the beginning of many more discussions, with someone who genuinely cared about what I was going through, and was willing to work together in order to get the best possible outcome for me. Through this very long process, Dr. Cooper has always helped me, and has repeatedly gone above and beyond the call of duty. Throughout this whole ordeal, she always offered sound advice, produced stellar work and gave me a level of support I didn’t know was possible. Overall, if you are facing academic appeals, I cannot think of anybody else I would recommend. I am now able to continue my studies'. G.A Haddy

PhD student at university 5 years studying for a PhD in Psychology - submitted thesis and failed first viva - asked by examiners to resubmit for PhD without requirement for second viva - on resubmission of thesis no award granted - RT Coopers worked with student to draft a strong academic appeal - on receipt of the appeal the university dispensed with the need for a hearing - successful outcome - student given the opportunity to resubmit thesis for a fresh viva with fresh examiners - awarded PhD with minor corrections. First Published in Google My Business Review

'I came to Dr. Rosanna Cooper of RT Coopers when I was given fail for my PhD. I passed my first submission with resubmission but in the second exam, I was given fail with no awards. I did my PhD in Psychology for 5 years altogether. It was an extremely painful, dark and exhausting journey. After 5 years of battle with my PhD, I was tired and losing all my ambition. I knew I needed to fight, but I was completely unsure if I could win. I spoke to a lot of different law firms and just searching aimlessly and not knowing what to expect at all. Dr. Cooper spent a long time on the phone with me when I first rang up. She ironed out a lot of the details for my case and I started to get the confidence back a little bit after the first phone call. Her suggestions had completely opened my mind about how to approach the appeal. I then met her in person to discuss in more details about the case. I was very glad we did so as she is probably one of the most impressive persons I’ve met. She just sees things through and knows how to win the case! You will know you are in safe hands when you meet her!

She is focused, shrewd, straightforward, analytical and professional. On top of that, she is a very lovely individual to be around with. I was really impressed by the way she approached the issues. She always squeezed me for more details about a point. So be prepared for a thorough and tough journey when working with her! Because it is all worthwhile it in the end! I now have my appeal upheld and I was given a chance to resubmit my thesis to fresh examiners. Rosanna also inspired me in the level of personal development. Having worked with her gave me the chance to see the world of an amazing individual. It is truly inspiring. I followed some of her suggestions to work on confidence and assertiveness issues for the viva preparation and it has been very helpful with all the aspects in my life. I deeply thank Dr. Rosanna Copper and her team for what they do and I wish them all the very best in the future. If you are thinking of academic appeal, I will definitely recommend them'. awarded PhD with minor corrections. J2007 “Yvonne” Fennel

PhD Student awarded MPhil after initial viva. Successfully complained to the OIA and case upheld as justified. University gave Dr Ullah the opportunity to rework his thesis and to resubmit with fresh viva and he was awarded his PhD

'It’s a pleasure to provide a testimonial to RT Coopers as the firm has brought happiness and hope again into my life. After the rejection of my appeal by the university for my PhD, I got completely disappointed and there was no hope around. When I discussed my case with Rosanna she was very positive, optimistic and assured me that we could extract something out of my case for the OIA review. She provided a new direction to my case and explored new ideas that I could not have done by myself. I found all the members of RT Coopers very friendly and co-operative and especially Rosanna was awesome. She was fully involved in my case, she worked late nights and during the weekend to meet the deadline. She did extensive research on my case and explored legal ways forward. Rosanna prepared my case with a full legal cover provided and I submitted it to the OIA before the deadline for review. Both the OIA and the university realized that important aspects discovered by Rosanna about my case were ignored during the university’s appeal process.

Now, the university has reconsidered their appeal decision and I am looking forward to the university providing me with a date for re-examination for my PhD soon. Without bringing my case to RT Coopers, I would not have got the positive results I was looking for. I have now passed my viva and I am a PhD degree holder (after initially being awarded an MPhil). I am determined to move forward with my life. Without bringing my case to RT Coopers I would not have got the results I was looking for. I strongly recommend RT Coopers to students in trouble and I know this firm will make a difference.' Dr Asmat Ullah, Assistant Professor

Medical Doctor studying for 4.5 years to achieve Doctor of Medicine researching novel methods in medicine - awarded MPhil following viva - grounds included conflict of interests, bias and procedural irregularities as the examiners had no knowledge of subject matter nor the appropriate levels of expertise to act as examiners - RT Coopers drafted academic appeal - allowed to rework thesis for re-submission for award of PhD - awarded PhD after re-submission and fresh viva - first published on Google My Business

‘It is with great pleasure that i write this testimonial in support of Rosanna and her team. I found myself in a very difficult situation with my higher education institution and had no previous experience in dealing with such a rare problem. My wife sought out Rosanna and her team who very swiftly demonstrated that they could help. The legalistic jargon of the rules and regulations and deadlines in which I had to appeal were unfamiliar to me and added significant pressure which was handled by Rosanna entirely. She provided a great deal of comfort because she handled this whilst I dealt with issues of relocation due to a new job and a very busy working schedule. We met on several occasions and talked comprehensively usually around my timetable on weekends and in the evenings. She was very accommodating and provided clear guidance. Rosanna gathered all the evidence in a robust and judicious manner and produced a water-tight case in my defence. Several weeks of agony and stress were eventually relieved when the outcome was found to be in my favour. You discover a true friend when you are most in need and I have discovered one in Rosanna. I cannot thank her and her team enough for their work, professionalism and passion for defending their clients. I unreservedly recommend them for their expertise and specialisation in higher education.’ IR

PhD Veterinary Student - deferred studies due to extenuating circumstances - university refused readmission - RT Coopers held face to face consultation with student to particularise the grounds of appeal - RT Coopers drafted appeal which was rejected by the university - RT Coopers drafted OIA Complaint as completion of procedures letter issued by university in relation to the appeal - RT Coopers drafted complaint and requested the OIA to stay the outcome of the OIA complaint (against the appeal) pending the decision of the university complaint - RT Coopers drafted a second complaint to the OIA and requested the OIA to consider both complaints together - OIA held case was partially justified

RT Coopers Solicitors have brilliantly and tirelessly represented me in a medical/disability discrimination complaint that was filed with the University and OIA. After a year of getting nowhere on my own against an uncompassionate School and Faculty, I was fortunate to find this legal team to represent me. Their compassion and understanding of my situation was overwhelming. For the first time, I felt like someone listened and understood. Their knowledge of University rules and regulations has allowed them to move a complaint forward that appeared to have been dismissed by the highest levels of the University. Rosanna was always willing to speak to me when a decision was made that she feared I would find distressing and explain the true ramifications of the situation. This would put my mind at rest and focus me on the next step in the process.

RT Coopers Solicitors took over the stressful and horrible task of fighting for my right to stay at the University and allowed me to focus on my medical recovery from cancer. Before contacting Rosanna, I spent countless hours (around medical appointments) speaking to my University Student Representatives who tried to assist me, but were not equipped to deal with ‘real life’ crises. My formal complaints were dismissed by uncompassionate and sometimes cruel-acting Faculty members.

Rosanna composed and filed brilliant complaints demonstrating the injustice of the Faculty’s treatment toward me and the faults in previous University decisions. I am now waiting for a final outcome. Although I hope to be able to return to my PhD Studentship, the outcome no longer matters. By allowing Rosanna to take over the stressful complaint process, I have been able to heal and forgive. I have taken the first steps towards medical health and am hopeful of finding a professional future. I am ready to put the University nightmare behind me.

I cannot thank RT Coopers or recommend them highly enough. Rosanna is strength, compassion, and brilliance. I am forever grateful. Yours Sincerely.' SH

PhD Student, Complaint to the OIA

'I found everyone in the firm very helpful and very friendly especially on the phone or Skype. RT Coopers provided me with the legal framework in order for me to make my case stronger. They explored new avenues and approaches that could not have been made without them. I am very thankful to the team at RT Coopers, as they put lots of effort into my case and provided a full legal cover for my case. Overall, I found the team very helpful, friendly and keen to explore important and legal issues. They worked on my case very efficiently and prepared my complaint on time for submission to the OIA. I won my appeal.' A.U

PhD Student, awarded no Degree after initial viva and on Appeal allowed to rework and resubmit thesis for award of PhD

'I am so happy with RT Coopers. It’s an excellent firm providing excellent legal services for higher education students. I would like to thank everyone at RT Coopers for their help in enabling me to achieve my success in my appeal. I was upset because I had failed my PhD and not awarded a degree when someone told me to research about lawyers for education, it was then I found this firm. I contacted the firm and I received outstanding legal services. My case was complicated and the lawyers worked hard on my case and I won my appeal against the university. Once the lawyers started working on my case I felt I could win 100%, believe me it is my feeling about this firm. I recommend this firm as it has a remarkable team of education lawyers. I rate this firm 5 out of 5.' SAA

Complaint to OIA - Complaint successful

‘After three of my own unsuccessful appeals to the university concerning problems I had encountered with the tutoring of the thesis module of my degree, I approached Rosanna to help me complete an OIA complaint. Rosanna made contact with me quickly after my initial email, and during our initial conversation I found her to be helpful and honest about the aspects of my case that were more likely to have a successful outcome. Rosanna worked hard to understand all aspects of my problem, and addressed each point thoroughly in the lengthy and accurate appeal that she prepared for me. Rosanna was available to help me with my submission late into the evening on the deadline day of my OIA submission, demonstrating her high degree of professionalism and commitment to the success of my case. Overall I would describe the firm as sharp, determined and have an obvious passion for what they do.' IG

Links to Testimonials

All Testimonials - Academic Appeals various students - Academic Integrity - Academic Misconduct and Academic Malpractice - Cheating - Collusion - Complaints to the OIA against Universities - Dentistry Students - Disciplinary - Exclusions - Expulsions - Extenuating Circumstances - Failed resits for OSCE/ISCE/PACES - Failed resits for written paper - Failed resits - Failed retake year - Fitness to Study - Fitness to Practise - Medical Students - Mitigating Circumstances - Panel Hearings - Pharmacy MPharm & GPhC Registration Assessment Appeals - PhD Students - Plagiarism - Poor Referencing - Procedural Irregularities - Withdrawal - Withdrawn from University - Representation before Panels and Committees - Termination of Studies - Veterinary Students