Others, for the student who is marginally qualified or who is more blatantly deficient, raise the intimidating specter of a defamation lawsuit for the writer who wants to give an honest appraisal of the candidate. Here are some points to note that should decrease your risk of being liable. Although there are subtle variations in the law from one state to another, generally the tort of libel occurs when false information that damages a person's reputation is written and disseminated to a third party, with some fault on the part of the writer. The same information, spoken to another, is slander. Both libel and slander are defamatory.
Truth is a defense to an allegation of defamation.
This obvious statement is the most important thing to remember when writing a letter of recommendation. Make every attempt to state facts about a student, even in a positive letter, and then support them with criterion-referenced observations. He will likely be a good teacher. In comparison with other third-year psychology majors, his design was more feasible within the time and budgetary constraints, and more closely focused on the discovery of the information he desired. His oral presentation of his project was likewise clear and thoughtful.