Using Corpus Linguistics to Interpret the Law

Dr Jesse Egbert, Northern Arizona University

October 18, 18:00 (Madrid time) / 17:00 (UK time)

This talk is part of the Corpus linguistics & applied linguistics research 2023 online event.

Registration link: https://umurcia.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uAmw72l1T-en-4y0LnZffg

Abstract

In order to interpret the meaning of ambiguous or vague words and grammatical structures used in a law, American judges have traditionally used their own intuition about ‘ordinary’ meaning, with the occasional reference to etymology, a dictionary, or a set of prescriptive ‘canons of construction’. However, some judges and legal scholars are now beginning to see that corpus linguistics is a superior method for learning about meaning. I will give an overview of the ‘law and corpus linguistics’ movement in the U.S., using examples from recent court cases related to the original meaning of the word ’emolument’ (Blumenthal v. Trump), and the ordinary meaning of ‘and’ in coordinated lists following a negated verb (Pulsifer v. United States).

Jesse Egbert is Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at Northern Arizona University. Jesse specializes in register variation, particularly in academic and online writing. His research also explores issues related to quantitative linguistic research, including corpus design and representativeness and methodological triangulation. He is General Editor of the international peer reviewed journal Register Studies. He has authored or edited, among others, Triangulating Methodological Approaches in Corpus Linguistic Research (Routledge, 2016), Register Variation Online (Cambridge, 2018), and Using Corpus Methods to Triangulate Linguistic Analysis (Routledge, 2019). He has been an active researcher in the area of statutory interpretation, with related publications in the BYU Law Review and The Routledge Handbook of Corpus Approaches to Discourse Analysis.