iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 13/07/2026

(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.

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M.J. Crockett @mjcrockett.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

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. 🧵/

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 03/07/2026

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.

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Dr Joe McIntyre @drjoemcintyre.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

🚨 ***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/

Flyer for 'Conspiracy Theories and Pseudolaw' Conference - more info at https://pseudolaw.org/events/

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 26/05/2026

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!

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Dr. Donald J Netolitzky, PhD, LLM, KC (retired) @dnetolitzky.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

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.

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Iris van Rooij 💭 @irisvanrooij.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

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

nature.com

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.

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Ralph Morton @ralphmortonlang.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

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

aifl-blog.com

An Introduction to Magical Legal Pragmatics

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

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 12/04/2026

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.

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 01/04/2026

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...

youtube.com

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

YouTube video by Aston University

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Kate Leader @leader-kate.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

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.

tinyurl.com

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...

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 29/01/2026

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:

eventbrite.co.uk

An Introduction to Magical Legal Pragmatics

Speaker: Dr. David Griffin

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BAAL Corpus Linguistics SIG @corpus-sig.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

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.

jiscmail.ac.uk

JISCMail

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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

"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...

msnbc.com

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.

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 15/10/2025

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

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BAAL Corpus Linguistics SIG @corpus-sig.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

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:

eventsforce.net

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 06/10/2025

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

rdcu.be

What We Talk About When We Talk About Forensic Linguistics

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 21/08/2025

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.

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 05/08/2025

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.cc

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

Generate professional-looking demand letters with style and snootiness

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 17/07/2025

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!

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 16/07/2025

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

linkedin.com

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 11/07/2025

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!

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 07/07/2025

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.

researchgate.net

(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...

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 01/07/2025

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

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 01/07/2025

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"!

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 30/06/2025

@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

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 30/06/2025

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

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 30/06/2025

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

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 19/06/2025

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!

mailchi.mp

Invitation to Participate

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Bradley Busch @handle.invalid · 18/06/2025

New research from MIT found that those who used ChatGPT can’t remember any of the content of their essays. Key takeaway: the product doesn’t suffer, but the process does. And when it comes to essays, the process *is* how they learn. arxiv.org/pdf/2506.088...

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 30/05/2025

The amazing @empowell.bsky.social has a new monograph out today about the language of mass shooter manifestos. I've been following Emily's work since we did our PhDs together and highly recommend anyone interested in the topic check it out. www.routledge.com/The-Language...

routledge.com

The Language of Mass Shooter Manifestos: A Corpus-Based Analysis of Pre-Crime Narratives

Bringing together scholarship from corpus linguistics, forensic linguistics, and criminology, this book offers a nuanced exploration of moral agency in the pre-crime narratives of offenders. The volum...

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 09/05/2025

i can’t get enough of the chicago pope jokes

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 30/04/2025

I'm very much looking forward to serving as the next treasurer of the International Association for Forensic & Legal Linguistics! It'll be great to contribute to the continued development of @iafll.bsky.social which, as I've said before, has always felt like my "home" organization.

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News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Wow Chicago! #HandsOff #FiftyFiftyOne (🎥 Marco Foster)

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Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 31/03/2025

There are trans Americans right now looking out at this world and wondering if anyone is going to stand up for them and for their simple right to exist. Well, I am. We are. We will.

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 26/03/2025

I'm very happy to see the Dean of @bulaw.bsky.social on this list!

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Paul Rayson @perayson.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

After a soft launch in the last couple of weeks, #wmatrix version 7 is now completely freely available worldwide for academic users plus UK government and NHS email addresses. This is the largest revision of the software since it was created 25 years ago: ucrel.lancs.ac.uk/wmatrix/

ucrel.lancs.ac.uk

Wmatrix corpus analysis and comparison tool

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 14/03/2025

After being asked to deliver what was essentially an emergency conference talk earlier today, I'm never leaving home again without my presentation remote. For safety.

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 10/03/2025

Anyone interested in learning more about forensic linguistic casework should check out the Writing Wrongs podcast! @timgrant123.bsky.social and @drniccimacleod.bsky.social are absolutely brilliant. Find it in your podcatcher of choice or here: www.aston.ac.uk/writing-wrongs

aston.ac.uk

Writing Wrongs

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 01/03/2025

I've been looking forward to getting my hands on this one for a while! Congratulations to @drjoemcintyre.bsky.social @dnetolitzky.bsky.social @drsarteschi.bsky.social and everyone else involved in this important and exciting project.

A photo of the book "Pseudolaw and Sovereign Citizens" on a wooden tabletop

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 18/02/2025

A topic I think @danaroemling.bsky.social and I both wish we were less correct about!

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 14/02/2025

I'm really looking forward to giving this talk next week! I've been working on this for a while (some version of this has been in my head for years) and am excited to finally get my ideas out there. You can attend for free in person or online!

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 27/01/2025

My latest visa application has been approved! This one lifts a restriction that had been present on every prior immigration document I've had in the UK; I can now work as a professional sportsperson. (Clearly this was the only reason I wasn't already doing so)

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Robbie Love @robbielove.org · 10/01/2025

One week left to submit abstracts / proposals for #CL2025!

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 06/01/2025

Free talk alert: Come learn about my latest research @aifl.bsky.social at 4pm on 20 Feb! (You can also watch remotely via the link below) This talk brings together my thoughts on legal genres, legal English, and the scope of "forensic linguistics" as a field. Plus I'll have some cool graphs!

eventbrite.co.uk

What are we doing here? Linguistics and the Legal Domain

Please note that this is a hybrid event, taking place at Aston University and on Teams.

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 13/12/2024

Anyone interested in learning more about pseudolaw should absolutely follow @dnetolitzky.bsky.social! He's probably written more (and more thoroughly) on the subject than anyone else I can think of and his analysis of individual cases is always fascinating. Plus, he's just a nice guy.

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 12/12/2024

We got married at the end of November! It was the absolute best day.

A bride and groom (me!) hold hands as they walk down a stone pathway towards the camera. Wedding guests stand on either side of the couple throwing dried flower petals into the air in celebration.

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 21/09/2024

It happened to me: Over drinks tonight, someone unwittingly asked me if I knew anything about the exact topic of my PhD. The dream! #academicchatter

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David Griffin @linguistlawyer.com · 02/12/2024

Many thanks to @danaroemling.bsky.social for their lecture on forensic authorship analysis as part of my Language and the Law module this morning. It's always a pleasure to hear them present! Forensic dialectology in particular is such a cool subject; I hope the students know how lucky they are.

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