(Sharing on behalf of Teba Naqash, event organizer and current PhD student at the University of Leeds) This seems like a great (and free!) event for PGRs interested in learning more about corpus linguistics! The event runs 9:30-14:00 BST on 27 July; registration is via the QR code in the image.

Joseph Weizenbaum's 1976 book, Computer Power and Human Reason, has long been out of print - used copies sell for hundreds of dollars. It's wild that this is not more widely available given how much his ideas still apply to the world we're in now. 🧵/

So cool to see my work with @danaroemling.bsky.social mentioned as part of "Forensic Linguistics in the United Kingdom"! Thanks to @ralphmortonlang.bsky.social, @emchiang.bsky.social, and Malcolm Coulthard for including us, and shout-out to our paragraph neighbor @lucia-busso.bsky.social.

Ralph Morton@ralphmortonlang.bsky.social · last mo.

Delighted to say that 'Forensic Linguistics in the United Kingdom' the Cambridge Element I've been working on for the past couple of years with @emchiang.bsky.social and Malcolm Coulthard is out now, and it's free to download for the first two weeks www.cambridge.org/core/element...

🚨 ***Pseudolaw Conference Alert*** There is still time to register for this amazing conference hosted by @leader-kate.bsky.social @linguistlawyer.com and myself at Queen Mary, London on Thursday & Friday this week The program and details are all available at pseudolaw.org/events/

Registration is now open for next month's Conspiracy Theories & Pseudolaw conference on 18 and 19 June. Both online and in-person atteance are free and the event will also be the official launch of @pseudolaw.org! The program is below and you can register at: tinyurl.com/55yrx627 See you there!

Pseudolaw sometimes involves real law, so sometimes the best cases to explain why a real legal dispute ends up with an outcome are cases about pseudolaw. Yes, this is a Meads v Meads thingie. I discuss a land access dispute example here: www.reddit.com/r/amibeingde... And here's the key part.

Meet the academics refusing to use generative AI Researchers say they have their reasons for avoiding AI tools — and they’re sick of arguing about it. www.nature.com/articles/d41... h/t @maartenp.bsky.social

Meet the academics refusing to use generative AI

Researchers say they have their reasons for avoiding AI tools — and they’re sick of arguing about it.

nature.com

aifl-blog.com/an-introduct... highly recommend checking out the fascinating (and magical!) new post on the AIFL blog today from David Griffin (@linguistlawyer.com) and Gordon Reynolds

An Introduction to Magical Legal Pragmatics

By David Griffin (PhD, JD) and Gordon Reynolds (PhD)

aifl-blog.com

A momentous achievement on the home front today: just a bit more than three months after we moved to Yorkshire, we have officially unpacked our last box! Still lots to do but the place is really starting to feel like it's ours at this point.

If you missed this talk (or just want to relive it!), it's now available to watch on @aifl.bsky.social's YouTube channel at the link below: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5t6...

AIFL Research Seminar: Dr David Griffin,  An Introduction to Magical Legal Pragmatics

YouTube video by Aston University

youtube.com

David Griffin@linguistlawyer.com · 6mo ago

On 12 February, I'm (virtually) returning to @aifl.bsky.social! In this talk, I will explain why I think that legal and magical discourses are functionally identical and how approaching the analysis of legal texts with their magical qualities in mind will benefit researchers. Tickets below:

Call For Papers: Conspiracy Theories and Pseudolaw Conference 📅 Friday 19 June 2026 📍 Lincoln's Inns Fields, Queen Mary, University of London tinyurl.com/5bwhur6v Please email your submission (max 300 words) to k.leader@qmul.ac.uk by 28 February 2026. Please share.

Call for Papers - FINAL.docx

Conference Call for Papers Conspiracy Theories & Pseudolaw Queen Mary, University of London Friday 19 June 2026 Conspiracy theories have gone mainstream. What were once seen as fringe concerns are no...

tinyurl.com

On 12 February, I'm (virtually) returning to @aifl.bsky.social! In this talk, I will explain why I think that legal and magical discourses are functionally identical and how approaching the analysis of legal texts with their magical qualities in mind will benefit researchers. Tickets below:

An Introduction to Magical Legal Pragmatics

Speaker: Dr. David Griffin

eventbrite.co.uk

Did you know we have a mailing list for the discussion of all maters related to corpus linguistics and SIG events? Sign up now to stay in the loop about our upcoming elections and AGM! You can do so yourself at www.jiscmail.ac.uk (search for BAAL-CORPUS-SIG) or just email david@linguistlawyer.com.

"A core principle behind the founding of the United States is 'No Kings.'...250 years into our independent nationhood, Trump either believes or pretends he can do anything he wants, unaccountable to any earthly authority." @jilldlawrence.bsky.social on today's protests www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

Opinion | Republicans' attacks on 'No Kings' protests reek of desperation

Republicans’ fictional portrait is part of a strategy to stop the resistance before it flexes its growing power.

msnbc.com

Come join us on the BAAL Corpus SIG! And don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

BAAL Corpus Linguistics SIG@corpus-sig.bsky.social · 10mo ago

We are looking for new committee members! If you would like to join the BAAL Corpus SIG as Meetings Secretary or as an Ordinary Member, please get in touch! You can learn more about the SIG at our website:

Just over one week left to submit an abstract for our upcoming event, "AI and EAP: New Directions" hosted by Coventry University! You can view the call for papers and register to attend on 15 December at the link below:

Out now (and open access!) in the International Journal for the Semiotics of Law: "What We Talk About When We Talk About Forensic Linguistics" This article is my attempt to get a handle on the perennial problem of describing forensic linguistics as a coherent field. 1/5 rdcu.be/eJoJP

I'm once again thinking about how great it must have been to be a linguist in the 60s. You could just say stuff! The amount of people who got away with what is essentially "It is doubtless true that..." followed by an unevidenced claim and are still widely cited today is staggering.

I absolutely love this! It's like they took my PhD thesis and turned it into an art project. I'll be referencing Heavyweight in future language and law classes and talks I give about legal semiotics; you can generate your own legal-seeming letters at heavyweight.cc. Amazing stuff!

Heavyweight: Letters Taken Seriously - Free & Open Legal Letterhead Generator

Generate professional-looking demand letters with style and snootiness

heavyweight.cc

Kendra Albert@kendraserra.bsky.social · last yr.

Watch Morry Kolman and I explain our art project, Heavyweight, from Rhizome's 7x7 event that paired artists with lawyers and asked them to make something new! video.rhizome.org/w/cWgMjxRWG8...

Coming up on 29 July: I'm excited to present a keynote as part of AASTMT's symposium on "Forensic Linguistics across Legal, Digital and Public Discourses"! I'll be discussing what makes data "legal" and why that status does (or sometimes doesn't) matter. It'll be a fun day; come along if you can!

I'm now on LinkedIn! If you'd like, you can connect with me there at www.linkedin.com/in/david-griffin-b94571375.

I had a blast talking to Robbie for this! Check it out to learn about my research interests and my forensic linguistics origin story. And thanks again to @aifl.bsky.social for having me!

Ralph Morton@ralphmortonlang.bsky.social · last yr.

New @aifl.bsky.social blog alert! In the latest in his ‘Meet the Researchers’ series @robbie-davies.bsky.social talks to AIFL and Cardiff University researcher David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com about his work and the role of power and persuasion in legal language. Link: aifl-blog.com/meet-the-res...

New preprint from Alex Moe and myself! "American Courtroom Data: A Legal Guide for Researchers" will be in the next issue of Language and Law / Linguagem e Direito. In this piece, we explore the legal regulations surrounding the access and use of data derived from US courtroom proceedings.

(PDF) American Courtroom Data: A Legal Guide for Researchers

PDF | Subject to very few exceptions, courtroom data generated in the United States (i.e. any material that is either part of a docket or derived from... | Find, read and cite all the research you nee...

researchgate.net

That's it from me at #CL2025 this week! I had a blast. See everyone in two years!

This afternoon at #CL2025: Annina Van Riper on "Linguistic mechanisms of trust in the Pick-Up artist community: a multidimensional analysis". There are some interesting parallels here between PUAs and Sovereign Citizen "gurus"!

@debbiecabral.bsky.social leads us through her approach to dealing with issues of relevance and dispersion in corpus analysis as the BAAL Corpus SIG panel continues #CL2025

Siân Alsop opens the BAAL Corpus SIG panel on "Methodological innovation in applied corpus linguistics" by explaining her work on the Children's Storybook Corpus. Next up @debbiecabral.bsky.social and then me! #CL2025

And we're off! @robbielove.org opens #CL2025 on what is looking to be a sweltering day in Birmingham

Seeking participants! An MA student I am supervising is looking for speakers of English to answer a few survery questions for her dissertation. You can find out more and participate at this link: mailchi.mp/6fcd7c955006... Please share and sign up if you can!