Amanda is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Criminology and Criminal Justice department at UMD. She holds a Master of Arts in Forensic Linguistics from Hofstra University, a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Psychology from Swarthmore College, and a Certificate in Paralegal Studies from Boston University. Her previous research has addressed language use in criminal legal contexts, including arraignment hearings, defamation law, and broader courtroom discourse, with work published in journals such as the International Journal for the Semiotics of Law and the International Journal of Language and Law. Amanda is currently working as a Teaching Assistant for CCJS105: Introduction to Criminology.