Can You Talk Like a Lawyer and Still Think Like a Human Being?: Mertz’s the Language of Law School

Abstract:     
The last thirty years in anthropology, as well as in linguistics and many of the other social sciences, has been characterized by a shift in theoretical focus from structure to practice. In The Language of Law School: Learning to "Think Like a Lawyer" (2007), the linguistic anthropologist and law professor Elizabeth Mertz has brought this practice perspective to bear on the extraordinary linguistic and cultural venue that is the first-year law school classroom. In revealing the linguistic realities of teaching new students to "think like a lawyer", she raises fascinating questions about the relationship between language and thought, the subtle effects of legal education, and the nature of law itself.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 68

Accepted Paper Series