The Discourse of Law: An Analysis of the TV Series How to Get Away with Murder

Abstract

This paper aims to carry out a thorough discursive analysis of the community depicted in the
famous TV series How to Get Away with Murder. Drawing on the theoretical framework
provided by scholars John Swales, Dell Hymes, Teun van Dijk and Jean-Michel Adam, the
discourse community at issue is described in depth and three relevant discourse samples are
analyzed: the cross-examination of a defendant (SPEAKING model), a sign setting out the
court dress code to be enforced, and part of an emergency custody order (macrostructures and
superstructures, and textual sequences).