Just Words: Law, Language, and Power

by John M. Conley, William M. O'Barr

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.

Conley and O'Barr 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 that will be welcomed by students and specialists alike.

Genres: Language, Law, Legal

184 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1998

Reviews

[Masha Bunina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Очень плотные тексты: каждая глава по 20 страниц, но на главу уходит по 3 часа. Своего рода хэндбук по социолингвистике (как используется язык во время судебных разбирательств разного рода): обо всем понемножку. Возможно, для специалистов будет поверхностно, но для меня это была новая перспектива, которая абсолютно меня заворожила и зажгла. Я прочитала семь глав из десяти, и по каждой из них у меня есть подробный конспект, а такое случается нечасто!

Мне еще понравилось, что они выявляют методами социолингвистики какую-то огромную проблему, а потом предлагают ее решение, и благодаря этому есть ощущение следующего шага, нет (почти) отчаяния.

Абсолютный мастрид, если хочется кому-то объяснить, чем интересна социолингвистика и почему стоит ее спонсировать.

[Fazhoque · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book, that covered a range of different topics, but consistently maintaining a linguistic perspective. There were lots of examples and the analyses/discussions went into depth. Would recommend this book!

[Phil Mc · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accessible but linguistically focused study of a range of legal topics. Personally, I would have preferred greater in-depth analysis of court transcripts as opposed to the broader theoretical debates on legal anthropological studies but that doesn't detract from an engaging and perceptive text.

[Kurt Spiteri]

helped me a lot in my dissertation concerning a lawyers perspective on courtroom language ... Good detailed studies and also a good read ... Perfect