Parchment, Paper, Pixels ─ Law and the Technologies of Communication

"Parchment, Paper, Pixels is a masterly exploration of the relationship between speech and writing in the law, especially in light of the effects of modern technology. Peter M. Tiersma's historical perspective is invaluable, his analysis of the present eye-opening, and his recommendations for the future provocative. No one I know of is in a better position than Tiersma to analyze the topics treated in this volume and to explore their implications for the practice of law. An ideal addition to some of the very best work on the interface between language and law, Parchment, Paper, Pixels will prove a highly influential---and breakthrough---work for years to come." Edward Finegan, University of Southern California Law School

"This is a very important book about understanding legal writing: where it came from, its logic (or lack thereof), how it became organized and systematized, and what it means to us today. Peter M. Tiersma addresses the impact technological innovation has had on the legal field in great detail and well-written, accessible prose, uncovering its fascinating historical roots and the problems and inconsistencies resulting from the field's efforts to make lasting changes. Lawyers love to tell and hear `war stories,' and they'll be pleased to read the compelling examples from the actual and often unusual cases that Tiersma explores throughout the book. Beyond that, Parchment, Paper, Pixels will be sure to surprise practicing lawyers, law students, and lay readers alike with its important unveiling of the inconsistencies between written, oral, and electronic communication throughout areas of the law. This book is certain to be successful and every bit as important as Tiersma's hallmark book, Legal Language." Roger W. Shuy, Georgetown University

Technological revolutions have had an unquestionable impact on culture and society. In the legal realm, the rise of literacy and print culture made possible the governing of large empires, the memorializing of private legal transactions, and the broad distribution of judicial precedents and legislation. These developments promote the rule of law and the certainty of private legal transactions. Yet each of these technologies has its shadow side: written or printed texts lack the flexibility of oral communication, and the literary practices of the legal profession can frustrate ordinary citizens, who may be bound by documents whose implications they scarcely understand.

Parchment, Paper, Pixels offers an engaging exploration of the impact of three technological revolutions on the law. Beginning with the invention of writing, continuing with the mass production of identical copies of legal texts brought about by the printing press, and ending with a discussion of computers and the Internet, Peter M. Tiersma traces the journey of contracts, wills, statutes, judicial opinions, and other legal texts through the past and into the future.

Though the ultimate effects of modern technologies on our legal system remain to be seen, Parchment, Paper, Pixels offers readers an insightful guide as to how our shifting forms of technological literacy have shaped and continue to shape the nature and practice of law today.

Peter M. Tiersma is the Hon. William Matthew Byrne Professor of Law at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. He is the author of Legal Language and coauthor of Speaking of Crime: The Language of Criminal Justice. For more information, visit www.languageandlaw.org.