The genre of oral argument -- Naming of litigants -- Ideology in judges' questions -- Identity-work in judicial opinions -- The legislative hearing genre -- Religion, citizenship, and identity in US law-making -- Storytelling and social change -- Morality arguments in the DOMA debates -- Discourse, law, and social change
Summary
This text examines the identity-work of judges and attorneys in state supreme courts as they debated the legality of existing marriage laws. Exchanges in state appellate courts are juxtaposed with the talk that occurred between citizens and elected officials in legislative hearings considering whether to revise state marriage laws. The book makes visible how the court and legislative talk constructed (1) the identities of speakers, (2) the identities of the spoken-to parties, and (3) the identities of the spoken-about parties
