Abstract
CONTENTS
I. Introduction .....................439
II. Oral Argument Belongs in the Law School Curriculum. 441
III. Evaluating Oral Argument Poses Unique Challenges .448
A. Biases May Affect the Evaluation .........448
1. Cognitive Biases Unrelated to Stereotypes...448
a. The Halo Effect ..............448
b. Confirmation Bias and Teacher Expectancy Effect ...................451
2. Implicit Biases Based on Stereotypes ...... 452
a. Racial Bias ................452
b. Gender Bias ................ 455
c. Other Stereotype-Based Biases and Intersectionality .............. 458
B. Evaluating Oral Argument Can Perpetuate Norms that Burden Women and Students of Color ....460
C. It is Difficult to Ensure a Consistent Experience for the Students ...................463
IV. Evaluators Can Take Steps to Ensure a Fair, Unbiased Evaluation ......................464
A. Approaches to Grading Oral Argument ......465
B. Steps to Minimize Bias and Maximize Fairness in the Evaluation Process ..............467
1. Increase Awareness of Bias ..........467
2. Consciously Challenge Potential Biases ....468
4. Omit or Minimize Evaluation of Presentation Style .....................470
5. Thoughtfully Select and Train Judges .....473
6. Reduce Cognitive Load............. 475
7. Reduce Mental Fatigue ............480
8. Consider Using Anonymous Grading ...... 482
V. Conclusion ......................486
Recommended Citation
Rachel Stabler,
All Rise: Pursuing Equity in Oral Argument Evaluation,
101 Neb. L. Rev.
(2022)
Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nlr/vol101/iss2/9