Biography
Professor Mertz is a leading legal anthropologist, and a pioneer in the field of law and language. She uses this background to study legal language in the United States, with a special focus on law school education. Her research also examines the problems involved in translating between law and social science, particularly in the domain of family law. In addition to her position on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin, she is a Senior Research Fellow at the American Bar Foundation, where she has conducted empirical research on legal education. The results of this research have appeared in numerous journals and edited collections. Her book, The Language of Law School: Learning to “Think Like a Lawyer” (Oxford University Press) was 2008 co-winner of the Herbert Jacob Book Prize, awarded by the Law & Society Association for “distinguished work that fulfills the high expectations of interdisciplinary scholarship that define this association.” Mertz’s study has drawn national attention from scholars interested in reforming the current system of legal education in the U.S.
Source and Full Bio: University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School.
