Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on English Studies in Indonesia (ICONESIA 2025)

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Language as Identity: The Case for Legal English in Indonesian Law Schools

Authors
Milena Miranda Faria1, Sultoni Fikri1, *
1Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, Surabaya, 60118, Indonesia
*Corresponding author. Email: sultonifikri@untag-sby.ac.id
Corresponding Author
Sultoni Fikri
Available Online 12 June 2026.
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-587-4_5How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Legal English; Legal Identity; Legal Language
Abstract

This study examines legal language as a fundamental construct of legal professional identity and as a vital element in reinforcing Indonesia’s national legal identity amid the dynamics of globalization. The objective of this research is to analyze how legal language functions not only as a medium of normative communication but also as a marker of professionalism and epistemic authority within the legal field. This research employs a qualitative–descriptive approach grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) and legal identity formation. The findings indicate that mastery of Legal English enhances participation in international legal discourse, academic visibility, and the professional competitiveness of Indonesian law graduates, while preserving the philosophical foundation of national law rooted in Pancasila and the civil law tradition. A balance between the principles of the plain legal language movement and the distinctive characteristics of Indonesian legal language is required to maintain both legal clarity and terminological precision. This study concludes that the development of global legal literacy through the integration of Legal English in legal education strengthens Indonesia’s legal sovereignty and shapes a national legal identity that is adaptive and committed to social justice.

Copyright
© 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on English Studies in Indonesia (ICONESIA 2025)
Series
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date
12 June 2026
ISBN
978-2-38476-587-4
ISSN
2352-5398
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-587-4_5How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Milena Miranda Faria
AU  - Sultoni Fikri
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/12
TI  - Language as Identity: The Case for Legal English in Indonesian Law Schools
BT  - Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on English Studies in Indonesia (ICONESIA 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 34
EP  - 45
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-587-4_5
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-587-4_5
ID  - Faria2026
ER  -