Addressing one's implicit bias isn't an easy task, but a panel of law school professors said it's necessary for becoming a better attorney and producing higher-quality legal research that takes into account different cultural and historical perspectives.

Yesterday, the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) livestreamed its "Fear and Loathing in Teaching Legal Research: Addressing Cultural Competence and Managing Implicit Bias" panel during its virtual conference.

The panel noted that acknowledging internal implicit biases and questioning assumptions requires attorneys to think out of the box and improve their skills.

"As attorneys, one of the best things they can do is ask questions because you do not know everything," said University of New Mexico School of Law associate dean of institutional climate and equity and professor of law librarianship Sherri Thomas.

Ronald Wheeler, Boston University School of Law director of the Fineman & Pappas Law Libraries and associate professor of law and legal research, also noted that exposure to different cultures or perspectives can enhance lawyers' research capabilities 

"When we get to the point in legal research about constructing searches and finding synonyms about the thing you're trying to search, an example I often use is the police," Wheeler said. "What is the synonym for police? Cops? Fuzz? One time I said 'the po-po,' that's what we call it in Detroit, and people laughed." While comical to some, the inclusion of that search word could yield possible connections to information useful for a lawyer's argument.

Wheeler said professors and students can get to the point of sharing cultural references after the professor takes the initiative to be vulnerable about their own biases. Professors that talk about their own experiences and biases challenges students to question their assumptions, Thomas noted.

Students may say, "'I saw it in The New York Times, it's one of the best resources.' But that's not always true," Thomas said. "But when you look at the resources in the article, it's a jumping-off point to start talking about bias at a larger level, then talking about the biases we have implicitly."

To be sure, professors discussing their implicit biases and exposing their vulnerabilities isn't easy. But the panel noted it's needed more than ever.

"I try to find ways to underscore my own humanity and my own vulnerability when we talk about things like implicit bias, Black Lives Matter and other difficult topics like racism, homophobia or sexism," Wheeler explained. "We are asking students to put themselves out there and be vulnerable. I think it's fair for them to expect that from their professors."

St. Mary University School of Law deputy director of administration and professor Mike Martinez Jr. noted law is a reflection of society at certain points in time, "and it's our responsibility to unpack this." However, researching U.S. legal actions may unearth uncomfortable truths.

When posed the question of conducting legal research with offensive terms, panelists noted that language evolves over time. Certain words or phrases gradually become less acceptable, but the terms could be integral for researching a matter.

"Historical context, when it comes to the law, is everything. What I do is try to connect its comprehensiveness to legal research," Thomas explained.

Awkwardness aside, Wheeler argued implicit bias and cultural competence is a discussion law students want to have.

"Students want us to facilitate that conversation," Wheeler said. "It's something that is uncomfortable but is needed but also a main takeaway students want from their legal education."