Research Profile

I am Dr Tatiana Grieshofer, Reader (Associate Professor) in Language and Law. My research priority has always been on topics with high societal impact. My main research focus is on procedural, social, discursive, cognitive, and communicative barriers to justice for (vulnerable) court users.

Supported by funding from EU, UK and international funding programmes (EU Marie Curie actions, BA/Leverhulme, AHRC and ESRC schemes), my empirically driven quantitative and qualitative research projects has focused on a wide range of language and communication related topics within family, civil, tribunal and criminal legal settings, contributing to the systemic aspects of procedural justice design. The research themes explored include social justice, procedural justice, legal-lay discourse, court digitisation practices, provision of legal information and advice on social media, narrativisation and elicitation strategies in legal proceedings, the discourse of police interviews, public legal education.

Methodologically, I draw on research frameworks grounded in applied linguistics, socio-legal studies, forensic psychology, education and social sciences. What defines my research is its interdisciplinarity and focus on diverse aspects of procedural and social justice as part of court proceedings and wider legal contexts. My research has featured across linguistics and law publishing outlets, expanding applied linguistics and socio-legal studies scholarship and contributing to legal practice and theory.

I regularly give invited talks, lead CPD workshops, and act as an external advisor, expert witness and reviewer for academic publications and funding bodies.