Language in Anglo-American legal process, including investigative practices: focus on differences between spoken and written language; lexical and syntactic ambiguity; pragmatics; speech act analysis; and language rights of linguistic minorities. Particular attention to legal language, with some focus on jury instructions and on legal standards, "legal fictions," the general nature of institutional language; the responsibilities of citizens re institutional language. Prereq: English/Linguistics 371 or 372 or consent of instructor (email me re consent). Otherwise, students do not need previous courses in either language or law. Guest cyberlectures will be given by practicing lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals. Cyberclass format; attendance mandatory. Carries graduate credit.

• Regular class participation (includes exercises & discussion).
• Reading assignments in textbooks and packet materials plus some internet files.
• A visit to a courtroom trial or hearing or other (approved) legal event. + written and oral reports.
• An interview with a legal professional and preparation of a partial transcript of the interview.
• Library paper (8-10 pp.) OR a written report exploring legal issues in a court case (8-10 pp.) plus an online presentation (webpage, PowerPoint, etc.) growing out of the assignment.

• Dumas, B. K. 1997. Packet available from Graphic Creations 865-522-6221 (call first).
• Tennessee Law Review 67.3 (2000) Special Issue on “Communicating with Juries.”
• Tiersma, Peter. 1998. Legal Language. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

Course Schedule:

Week 1 (8/29) Introduction to legal language and legal process

Week 2 (9/ 5) Nature/history of Legal Language

Week 3 (8/12) Using Social Science and Legal Library and Internet Resources

Week 4 (9/19) Interpretation

Week 5 (9/26) Language in the Courtroom I

Week 6 (10/ 3) Language in the Courtroom II

Week 7 (10/10) Plain English and Pragmatics

Week 8 (10/17) Oral Reports on Court Sessions

Week 9 (10/24) Jury Instructions I

Week 10 (10/31) Jury Instructions II

Week 11 (11/ 7) Ethnography of the courtroom, analyzing language in legal settings

Week 12 (11/14) Illustrative cases, ethical Issues in the judicial process

Week 13 (11/21) Transforming Language in Legal Proceedings: Bilingual Proceedings

Week 14 (11/28) The Language of Consumer Product Warnings

Week 15 (12/12) 5-7 p.m. exam period. Online presentations