Juris Doctor/Master of Linguistics in Forensic Linguistics

The JDMALFL is a joint degree program offered by the Maurice A. Deane School of Law (Law School) and the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (HCLAS).The well-established science of linguistics analyzes all aspects of human language. It has a sub-field, “forensic linguistics,” which arose from the fact that language is at the basis of most legal problems – whether they arise in statutory or contractual interpretation, the authenticity of confessions, the clarity of jury instructions, the meaningfulness of product warnings, the truthfulness of advertising, the originality of an infringing work, the sting of a defamatory statement, or innumerable other contexts.Forensic linguistics augments legal analysis by applying rigorous, scientifically accepted principles of language analysis to such problems. Experts in the field are employed in a variety of institutions, including law enforcement agencies and academia, and they testify regularly in court. From the legal side, forensic linguistics has been attracting increasing attention from professors, courts, and litigators.The joint program allows students to obtain a JD and a MALFL in four years, rather than the ordinarily required five. More importantly, as an educational matter, students are able to integrate both fields by participating in internships and coursework that specifically link legal and forensic linguistic training.For example, through Hofstra’s Forensic Linguistic Capital Case Innocence Project and the Institute for Forensic Linguistics, law students and linguistics students analyze live case data, participate in drafting reports, and provide consultation to criminal lawyers.

Students seeking admission to the joint-degree program must be admitted separately to the Law School and to HCLAS’s MALFL program. All applicants must meet the requirements for full-time admission to the Law School. A check box is included on each school’s application that allows students to indicate their interest in being considered for the joint program.Students may apply to the joint-degree program as they apply to, or during their first year in, either program. However, because of the timing of the various law school activities, potential participants are strongly advised that they will have the smoothest student experience if their four years consist, in order, of:Year 1: First-year MALFL studies,Year 2: First-year Law School studies,Year 3: Completion of second-year Law School requirements, plus appropriate electives/requirements in either school,Year 4: Completion of remaining program requirements in either school.TOEFL - 80IELTS - 6.5