Critics discuss Mertz's concept of the "double edge" of law—while it provides a neutral-appearing language for conflict, it can simultaneously obscure social experiences that are vital for democracy and justice.
Academic reviews in the Journal of Legal Education and Language in Society note that the book criticizes legal education for normalizing narrow evaluations of disputes, effectively "silencing" social and moral concerns. Learning to “Think Like a Lawyer”
While praised for its eloquence, the book's roots in linguistic anthropology make it a common text for graduate-level courses in applied linguistics, which may be dense for casual readers. Critics discuss Mertz's concept of the "double edge"
Reviewers from American Anthropologist and Amazon highlight Mertz's analysis of how the Socratic method forces students to shift away from moral or emotional terms and toward strict frameworks of legal authority. Learning to “Think Like a Lawyer”