Lexi Slome

Lexi Slome, Ph.D., is a linguist and trial consultant based in the U.S. who uses her background in sociolinguistics and courtroom discourse to help shape trial narratives. Through undergraduate studies in linguistics and psychology, Ph.D. research examining the language of opening statements, and experience working as a trial consultant on a wide variety of legal cases, she has developed a multifaceted understanding of how story, discourse, and juror psychology shape decision-making in the courtroom. Her job is to use this understanding to conduct thorough jury research and provide strategic recommendations to help trial teams navigate complex or charged issues at trial.

Slome, A. (2024). Discursive Construction of Defendant and Victim Identity in Courtroom Opening Statement Narratives. Linguistics. hdl.handle.net/10822/1089061

Courtroom narratives are not simply accounts of events, but persuasive constructions that shape how defendants and victims are understood. This thesis examines how attorneys construct opposing narratives and identities in the opening statements of three U.S. criminal trials: MN v. Chauvin, FL v. Lewis, and WI v. Rittenhouse. Drawing on structural and performative narrative analysis, the study investigates how linguistic strategies such as stancetaking, comparison, and attribution of agency position defendants and victims in relation to legal standards and sociocultural expectations. The analysis demonstrates how these identity constructions contribute to broader narratives of guilt and innocence, highlighting the role of language in shaping persuasive courtroom narratives.