Red, Yellow, Green: A New Traffic Light For Legal Education?

Jonathan Bremen (Loyola-L.A.), Red, Yellow, Green: A New Traffic Light for Legal Education?:

This paper examines the evolving role of cold-calling in legal education, particularly through the lens of a controversial tricolor name card system introduced at Yale Law School. Drawing on historical and contemporary debates, the article explores the advantages and disadvantages of cold-calling, a pedagogical technique long associated with the Socratic method. While cold-calling can increase student participation, improve communication skills, and foster a more equitable classroom, it also has significant drawbacks, including heightened anxiety, particularly for neurodivergent students, and potential reinforcement of harmful power dynamics.

The paper introduces the Forman-Robinson card system, which allows students to control their participation by selecting red, yellow, or green indicators on their name cards. This system preserves the benefits of cold-calling while offering students agency, thus mitigating its negative effects. The article also considers the system’s adaptability to virtual learning environments and its potential to create a more inclusive and engaging classroom.

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