Grading a student’s essay is not only a task that requires considerable effort and time, but also brings with it potential legal issues. It is important for instructors to understand the various legal considerations in order to ensure that their grading practices are fair and legally sound. This article will discuss some of the major legal issues related to the grading of student essays and whether displaying a student’s work could be considered copyright infringement.

First, there must be an understanding of how grades are assigned by instructors. Grades are usually based on several factors such as content, grammar and mechanics, structure, creativity, depth of research, use of sources, style and organization. These criteria may vary depending on the assignment or course requirements; however, regardless of specifics they should be applied consistently across all students in accordance with established standards. Additionally ,the instructor should provide clear expectations regarding expectations prior to assigning any grade so that students can make informed decisions prior to submitting their work . Finally , since grades reflect both qualitative assessments as well as overall performance , a rubric ( which consists of rating scales ) could prove beneficial for consistent evaluation purposes .