Language and Law

3 Credit Hours

The use of spoken and written language is central to the practice of law, whether in the courtroom, the law office, or the appellate court opinion. This course provides an introduction to social scientific studies of the language of the law as it functions in courtroom interactions, in jury decision making, in lawyer-client interviews, in caselaw, and in other legal contexts. Students will have an opportunity to do their own linguistic "fieldwork" in legal settings or to work with original data (for example, transcripts). Evaluation: Course grades will be based on brief oral reports of fieldwork, on contributions to class discussions, and on a written project report. Class participation will be considered in determining the final grade. Teaching method: Texts: Prequisites: None.