College of Law Faculty Scholarship

Source Publication (e.g., journal title)

2018 American Association of Law Libraries Annual Conference

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

January 2018

Abstract

A growing body of research studies shows that implicit biases based on race and other minority status play a role in student perceptions, behaviors, and teacher evaluation outcomes. Across the country, persons of color are enduring unique legal challenges, including racial profiling, police brutality, racial gerrymandering, and the threat of deportation. In this context, the continued use in legal research instruction of race-neutral "Jack and Jill" client names and traditional, noncontroversial hypotheticals misses an important opportunity to address these topics.Considering the obligations and responsibilities of legal research instructors to develop culturally competent lawyers, the first portion of the program will include a discussion of the importance of a legal research curriculum that addresses issues of race and implicit bias, despite possible unease when introducing sensitive topics in the classroom. In the second half, participants will learn tools and tips for incorporating issues of race and implicit bias into the legal research curriculum. Emphasis will be placed on the design of legal research hypotheticals and exercises that reflect legal challenges minority clients may face, while still providing the substantive instruction on legal research methods that students need.

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