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Certainly, any lawyer who writes or explains the law and who is able to find a few moments for the consideration of matters outside the purely pragmatic considerations of the daily workload will find this a fascinatingly alternative perspective on how language is perceived and valued by those whose interests in the philosophy and structure of communication can help us to understand more about the internal structure of what we are, generally subliminally, doing every day. -- Statute Law Review Slocum's book is a useful addition to the literature on interpretation. His knowledge of linguistics provides the reader with a comprehensive account of meaning and conventionality in a neighboring field of study. -- The Cambridge Law Journal This volume of essays considers the question of whether insights from linguistics, philosophy, and psychology could contribute to better methodologies for determining the meaning of legal texts, and goes on to ask the even more provocative normative question, namely, if law should ground the search for meaning in legal texts in what we know from those other disciplines about the relationship of texts and meaning. At a time when legal scholarship on textual interpretation has become increasingly stale, sterile, and formulaic, this collection of interdisciplinarily grounded essays from leading scholars is indeed a breath of fresh air. -- Janet Ainsworth, Seattle University The Nature of Legal Interpretation is an excellent anthology--well conceived and well executed. The contributors are first-rate, and their contributions reflect that. The theoretical basis of legal interpretation is experiencing a boom period in academic interest and controversy right now. The proper approach to interpreting the Constitution and statutes is of incredible importance, and its importance is being relearned in the wake of Supreme Court opinions interpreting the Second Amendment, the Affordable Care Act, and the due process clause. Although there has been a lot written on the topic in the last decade, most of it has been the product of legally trained academics with little sophistication in linguistic philosophy. The Nature of Legal Interpretation fills that gap and provides much-needed clarity and complexity to how we understand contemporary legal disputes. -- Larry Alexander, University of San Diego

Slocum's book is a useful addition to the literature on interpretation. His knowledge of linguistics provides the reader with a comprehensive account of meaning and conventionality in a neighboring field of study. --The Cambridge Law Journal Certainly, any lawyer who writes or explains the law and who is able to find a few moments for the consideration of matters outside the purely pragmatic considerations of the daily workload will find this a fascinatingly alternative perspective on how language is perceived and valued by those whose interests in the philosophy and structure of communication can help us to understand more about the internal structure of what we are, generally subliminally, doing every day. --Statute Law Review This volume of essays considers the question of whether insights from linguistics, philosophy, and psychology could contribute to better methodologies for determining the meaning of legal texts, and goes on to ask the even more provocative normative question, namely, if law should ground the search for meaning in legal texts in what we know from those other disciplines about the relationship of texts and meaning. At a time when legal scholarship on textual interpretation has become increasingly stale, sterile, and formulaic, this collection of interdisciplinarily grounded essays from leading scholars is indeed a breath of fresh air. --Janet Ainsworth, Seattle University The Nature of Legal Interpretation is an excellent anthology--well conceived and well executed. The contributors are first-rate, and their contributions reflect that. The theoretical basis of legal interpretation is experiencing a boom period in academic interest and controversy right now. The proper approach to interpreting the Constitution and statutes is of incredible importance, and its importance is being relearned in the wake of Supreme Court opinions interpreting the Second Amendment, the Affordable Care Act, and the due process clause. Although there has been a lot written on the topic in the last decade, most of it has been the product of legally trained academics with little sophistication in linguistic philosophy. The Nature of Legal Interpretation fills that gap and provides much-needed clarity and complexity to how we understand contemporary legal disputes. --Larry Alexander, University of San Diego

Slocum's book is a useful addition to the literature on interpretation. His knowledge of linguistics provides the reader with a comprehensive account of meaning and conventionality in a neighboring field of study. --The Cambridge Law Journal This volume of essays considers the question of whether insights from linguistics, philosophy, and psychology could contribute to better methodologies for determining the meaning of legal texts, and goes on to ask the even more provocative normative question, namely, if law should ground the search for meaning in legal texts in what we know from those other disciplines about the relationship of texts and meaning. At a time when legal scholarship on textual interpretation has become increasingly stale, sterile, and formulaic, this collection of interdisciplinarily grounded essays from leading scholars is indeed a breath of fresh air. --Janet Ainsworth, Seattle University Certainly, any lawyer who writes or explains the law and who is able to find a few moments for the consideration of matters outside the purely pragmatic considerations of the daily workload will find this a fascinatingly alternative perspective on how language is perceived and valued by those whose interests in the philosophy and structure of communication can help us to understand more about the internal structure of what we are, generally subliminally, doing every day. --Statute Law Review The Nature of Legal Interpretation is an excellent anthology--well conceived and well executed. The contributors are first-rate, and their contributions reflect that. The theoretical basis of legal interpretation is experiencing a boom period in academic interest and controversy right now. The proper approach to interpreting the Constitution and statutes is of incredible importance, and its importance is being relearned in the wake of Supreme Court opinions interpreting the Second Amendment, the Affordable Care Act, and the due process clause. Although there has been a lot written on the topic in the last decade, most of it has been the product of legally trained academics with little sophistication in linguistic philosophy. The Nature of Legal Interpretation fills that gap and provides much-needed clarity and complexity to how we understand contemporary legal disputes. --Larry Alexander, University of San Diego

Author Information

Brian G. Slocum is a professor of law at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California.

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