EBS experts: Study by Prof. Dr. iur. Emanuel V. Towfigh initiates discussion in Berlin Senate Administration

The study Gender and Origin Effects in the Grading of State Exams in Law came to the conclusion that women achieve worse grades than men in the state exams. The average rating of women in the oral tests is about 2.4 percent lower than that of men. In the anonymous written examination, on the other hand, the difference in marks is only 1.9 percent. However, if at least one woman is a member of the examination board, the differences in marks disappear.

At present, however, women are clearly underrepresented in the Berlin examination boards for the first and second state law exams. The Senate Administration and the German Women’s Lawyers’ Association therefore launched an appeal in a press conference on 6 March 2019: they want more women on the examination boards for the legal state examinations.