Legal language is often seen as overly complex, but its opacity may serve a deeper social function beyond mere communication. The proposed project seeks to explore how certain legal texts are perceived and recognized as "legal." To do so, we will employ the Social Representations Approach, a framework from social psychology capable of examining how collective understandings shape knowledge and meaning within a society. Given that legal communication engages diverse social groups with varying linguistic repertoires, understanding how people, both lay and expert, construct the concept of "the legal" is crucial. By analyzing specialized linguistic traits in legal writing, this research investigates what structural role they play in the social representation of “the legal” in legal writing and whether they reinforce epistemic authority of its author rather than simply obstructing comprehension. Our aim is to provide a framework to help legal teachers, practicing lawyers, and generative legal software developers understanding how to critically approach legal text drafting.

We aim to

• explore social representation of “the legal” in legal writing,
• examine the extent to which certain linguistic traits signal legal expertise,
• explore the effect of these "law-signalling traits" on audience satisfaction and thus
• develop a critical framework for legal writing education.

Sustainable Development Goals

Masaryk University is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to improve the conditions and quality of life on our planet by 2030.