--- title: Off the Record - Seton Hall Law's Official Blog | Carl Coleman description: Professor Carl Coleman specializes in the legal, ethical, and public policy implications of medical treatment, research, and public health. He currently serves as Academic Director of Seton Hall Law School's Division of Online Learning. --- Off The Record ![Seton Hall Law Logo](https://law.shu.edu/_resources/images/logos/logo.png) # Carl Coleman Professor Carl Coleman specializes in the legal, ethical, and public policy implications of medical treatment, research, and public health. He currently serves as Academic Director of Seton Hall Law School's Division of Online Learning. ### Recent Posts # [5 Ways to Avoid Plagiarism](https://blog.law.shu.edu/off-the-record/5-ways-to-avoid-plagiarism) Posted by [Carl Coleman](https://blog.law.shu.edu/off-the-record/author/carl-coleman) on 12/3/15, 8:00 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.law.shu.edu/hubfs/laptop-on-desk-in-dark-room-under-lamp.jpg)](https://blog.law.shu.edu/off-the-record/5-ways-to-avoid-plagiarism) --- Plagiarism — the use of someone else’s words or ideas in writing without proper attribution — is one of the easiest ways to ruin your academic or professional reputation. Just ask [Senator John Walsh](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/11/us/politics/plagiarism-costs-degree-for-senator-john-walsh.html?_r=0), whose Master’s degree from the United States War College was rescinded after it was discovered that he copied large portions of his final thesis without attribution. Or [Benny Johnson](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/buzzfeed-fires-benny-johnson-for-plagiarism/2014/07/26/64abe9d2-1484-11e4-98ee-daea85133bc9_story.html), the BuzzFeed writer who was dismissed after Twitter users pointed out dozens of examples in his articles of “sentences or phrases copied word for word from other sites.” As a law student, being scrupulous about avoiding plagiarism is particularly important, as a plagiarism violation could be used as [evidence of poor “character and fitness”](https://law.utexas.edu/faculty/wschiess/legalwriting/2006/10/plagiarism-it-follows-you-after-law.html)when you apply for admission to the bar. For lawyers already in practice, plagiarism can be [grounds for professional discipline](http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publications/criminal_justice_magazine/cjsu11_ethics.authcheckdam.pdf). [READ MORE](https://blog.law.shu.edu/off-the-record/5-ways-to-avoid-plagiarism) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.law.shu.edu/off-the-record/5-ways-to-avoid-plagiarism#comments-listing) Topics: [Advice and Tips](https://blog.law.shu.edu/off-the-record/topic/advice-and-tips), [Writing](https://blog.law.shu.edu/off-the-record/topic/writing) ![Carl Coleman](https://blog.law.shu.edu/hubfs/coleman_carl_150x150.jpg) Written by [Carl Coleman](https://blog.law.shu.edu/off-the-record/author/carl-coleman) Professor Carl Coleman specializes in the legal, ethical, and public policy implications of medical treatment, research, and public health. He currently serves as Academic Director of Seton Hall Law School's Division of Online Learning. 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