About us
Who are we?
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The Austrian Association for Legal Linguistics (AALL) is a non-profit scientific organisation striving for excellence in the investigation of language use in legal contexts. The association consists primarily of scholars from legal linguistics and the legal domain. Our research focuses on statutory interpretation, linguistic evidence in the juridical process, speaker recognition and identification, and commentaries on legal developments.
About Us
The AALL is dedicated to advancing research and dialogue at the intersection of language and law. It brings together scholars, legal professionals, and practitioners who share a commitment to understanding how language shapes legal systems, interpretation, and access to justice.
Origins
The idea for the Association was born in September 2016 in Kraków, Poland. There, Daniel Green and his colleagues identified the need for a dedicated research platform for legal linguistics in Austria. Following his return, this vision began to take concrete form, with prospective members meeting informally over the following months to exchange ideas and lay the foundation for a new scholarly association.
Foundation
The Association was formally established on 4 May 2017 in Vienna. Its founding charter was signed by Daniel Green (then Leisser) and Luke Green. Rooted in the principle of academic freedom, the Association was conceived as a non-profit organisation committed to the development of foundational research in and around legal linguistics.
The official foundation ceremony took place at the University of Vienna and was celebrated on 30 September 2017 with a conference featuring a range of diverse contributions.
Mission and Activities
The AALL promotes interdisciplinary research into the role of language in legal contexts. Its work addresses key issues such as legal interpretation, legislative drafting, judicial communication, and the accessibility of legal language.
Since its establishment, the Association has organised a wide range of academic and public events, including:
- The International Legal Linguistics Workshops (ILLWS).
- Fritz-Schönherr-Symposium in Vienna in honour of Prof. Dr. Fritz Schönherr
- The public discussion series “Language and Law”, covering topics such as privacy, education, gender, religion, and multilingual lawmaking in the European Union;
- Conferences, panel discussions, and online events addressing contemporary legal and societal challenges.
Today
Today, the Austrian Association for Legal Linguistics continues to serve as a platform for scholarly exchange and public engagement. With an expanding international network, it remains committed to fostering research, supporting dialogue, and promoting a deeper understanding of the crucial role language plays in law and society.
If you are interested in joining the AALL, please visit our “Join” page here, or get in touch for more information: info@oegrl.com.
Meet the Executive Board
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Daniel Green – President
daniel.green@oegrl.com
Daniel Green is a legal linguist based in Rijeka, focusing on the study and teaching of language and law. He studied English, American Studies, and History at the University of Vienna, completing his legal education at Edinburgh. His research covers statutory interpretation, legislative drafting, and indeterminacy in Austrian criminal proceedings. Green examines how language influences legal decisions and impacts practice, contributing to a deeper understanding of the relationship between language and law in modern legal systems.
Peter A. Eschig – Vice President
Peter Andreas Eschig studied law in Vienna and London. He is a former Austrian attorney-at-law and has obtained additional professional qualifications for German and English law. As a legal translator, Peter also works for internationally active lawyers and companies. He is the author of various books for legal practitioners (inter alia, the translation of the Austrian Civil Code – ABGB) and alumni ambassador for the University of Vienna.
Sarah Atkins – Secretary
Sarah Atkins is a journalist and social scientist from Dunedin, New Zealand. Currently assistant editor at RDU, she also serves as president of a humanitarian organisation for young people that spans all time zones. Academically, Sarah specializes in the psychological effects of Anthropocene-era global narratives. To this end, she has completed a BVA, a BAHons and an MA in English at UVIC, and is currently studying towards a third BA in International Relations. Alongside her studies, Sarah works as a correspondent for UNESCO’S City of Literature project under the pen name S. A. Arleyn. Her poetry and prose, which circle themes of identity loss, cultural blurring, and romantic disassociation, have been featured in journals such as The Lamp and Feminist Spaces.
Barbora Tomečková – Vice Secretary
Barbora Tomečková is a PhD candidate at the Department of Constitutional Law and Political Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. Her research focuses on official language designation in constitutions, connecting language policy, planning, and constitutional identity, with comparative interest in Ireland and North Macedonia. She has a background in criminal and administrative law, public administration, general linguistics, and museology. Barbora has also worked as an advocacy coordinator for an NGO, contributing to reforms on official gender reassignment in the Czech Republic.
Matthias Eder – Treasurer
Matthias Eder, born and raised in Vienna, is studying Business and Social Sciences at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. His academic focus is in the field of Finance & Data Science, in which he also pursuing an advanced master’s degree. He is particularly fascinated by how financial markets function and how they influence economic, social, and communicative processes.
Advisory board
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Currently, the advisory board of the AALL consists of the following people (in alphabetical order):
- Prof. Sulaiman Al Aawaj
- Prof. Dr. Rafat Alwazna
- Prof. Dr. Martina Bajčić
- Mag. Jürgen Busch
- Mag. Cornelia Eißler
- Dr. Zakeera Docrat
- Mag. Martin Dunkl
- Prof. Dr. Jan Engberg
- Prof. Dr. Annarita Felici
- Dr. Dejana Golenko
- Prof. Dr. Irina Gvelesiani
- Prof. Robert S. Hammer, JD
- Prof. Dr. Laurent Gautier
- Prof. RA MMag. Franz J. Heidinger LLM
- Prof. Dr. Tatjana Josipović
- Prof. Dr. Hannes Kniffka
- Prof. Dr. Dawid Kostecki
- Mag. Sylvia Kummer
- Prof. Dr. Konrad Lachmayer
- Mag. Patrick Lientschnig
- Prof. Dr. Alessandra Lombardi
- Prof. Dr. Claus Luttermann
- Prof. Dr.Karin Luttermann
- Mag. Dr. Benedikt Lutz
- Mag. Mateja Martinjak
- Prof. Dr. Gerlinde Mautner
- Prof. Dr. Matija Miloš
- Dr. Kevin Müller
- Dr. Patricia Rawinksy
- RA Michael Schmuck
- Prof. Dr. Dieter Stein
- Prof. Dr. Eva Wiesmann
- Dr. Mateusz Zeifert
Coordinators
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Emerging Scholars’ Initiative
Ilker Alat – International Office
Ilker Alat serves as Head of the International Office, where he oversees international coordination and institutional relations. He acts as the main point of contact for international institutions, external partners, and schools, and contributes to the organization and international outreach of initiatives such as the Law and Language Days, which he conceptualised. In addition, he serves as the Association’s representative of the Turkish community in Austria.