Just Words

Just Words
Author: John M. Conley
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2019-05-10
Genre: Law
ISBN: 022648453X

Is it “just words” when a lawyer cross-examines a rape victim in the hopes of getting her to admit an interest in her attacker? Is it “just words” when the Supreme Court hands down a decision or when business people draw up a contract? In tackling the question of how an abstract entity exerts concrete power, Just Words focuses on what has become the central issue in law and language research: what language reveals about the nature of legal power. John M. Conley, William M. O'Barr, and Robin Conley Riner show how the microdynamics of the legal process and the largest questions of justice can be fruitfully explored through the field of linguistics. Each chapter covers a language-based approach to a different area of the law, from the cross-examinations of victims and witnesses to the inequities of divorce mediation. Combining analysis of common legal events with a broad range of scholarship on language and law, Just Words seeks the reality of power in the everyday practice and application of the law. As the only study of its type, the book is the definitive treatment of the topic and will be welcomed by students and specialists alike. This third edition brings this essential text up to date with new chapters on nonverbal, or “multimodal,” communication in legal settings and law, language, and race.

The Oxford Handbook of Language and Law

The Oxford Handbook of Language and Law
Author: Peter Meijes Tiersma
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 665
Release: 2012-03-08
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0199572127

This book provides a state-of-the-art account of past and current research in the interface between linguistics and law. It outlines the range of legal areas in which linguistics plays an increasing role and describes the tools and approaches used by linguists and lawyers in this vibrant new field. Through a combination of overview chapters, case studies, and theoretical descriptions, the volume addresses areas such as the history and structure of legal languages, its meaning and interpretation, multilingualism and language rights, courtroom discourse, forensic identification, intellectual property and linguistics, and legal translation and interpretation. Encyclopedic in scope, the handbook includes chapters written by experts from every continent who are familiar with linguistic issues that arise in diverse legal systems, including both civil and common law jurisdictions, mixed systems like that of China, and the emerging law of the European Union.

The Foundations of Communication in Criminal Justice Systems

The Foundations of Communication in Criminal Justice Systems
Author: Daniel Adrian Doss
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 644
Release: 2014-10-17
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1482236575

Myriad forms of communication occur within the criminal justice system as judges and attorneys speak to juries, law enforcement officers interact with the public, and the news media presents stories of events in courtrooms. Hindrances abound, however. Law enforcement officers and justice system personnel often encounter challenges that affect their ability to communicate with others, ranging from language barriers, to conflicting accounts of witnessed events, to errors caused by malfunctioning technology. Examining the relevancy of the U.S. Constitution to modern communications, The Foundations of Communication in Criminal Justice Systems demonstrates how information is conveyed from multiple perspectives in a range of scenarios, enabling readers to see how these matters relate to and affect the criminal justice system. Topics covered include: How to use the communications process within the justice system from the crafting of messages through the solicitation of feedback Effective methods for persuading individuals and audiences Federal regulations in the workplace and workplace communications tactics How law enforcement and public safety entities use marketing and advertising to influence the general public How to use multimedia resources when communicating Using multiple communications styles to support effective leadership The book concludes with discussions on innovations in communication technology, natural language processing, cybernetics, and other emerging concepts. With an emphasis on logical reasoning in communication, the book explores the perspectives of numerous players in the justice system, from patrol officers to attorneys. Supplemented by examples of written communication templates that can be adapted within a law enforcement organization, it provides readers with solid theoretical and applied approaches to the subject matter.

Out-of-Control Criminal Justice

Out-of-Control Criminal Justice
Author: Daniel P. Mears
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2017-09-28
Genre: Law
ISBN: 110716169X

This book shows how to reduce out-of-control criminal justice and create greater public safety, justice, and accountability at less cost.

The Oxford Handbook of Language and Society

The Oxford Handbook of Language and Society
Author: Ofelia García
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 585
Release: 2017
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0190212896

This book challenges basic concepts that have informed the study of sociolinguistics. It proposes a critical poststructuralist perspective that examines the socio-historical context that led to the emergence of dominant sociolinguistic concepts and develops new theoretical and methodological tools that challenge these dominant concepts.