If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You): Billy Joel Lyrics in Legal and Medical Scholarship

Authors

• Seuli Bose Brill
• Christian H. Brill

Abstract

Law and medicine are often considered to be among the least accessible professions, partly because of the heavy use of non colloquial jargon. This article examines more than 150 instances in which Billy Joel’s lyrics have been used to improve the accessibility of legal and medical scholarship. Legal and medical professionals have used the words of the “Piano Man” to discuss a variety of topics—everything from civil procedure to property rights and the COVID-19 pandemic to colorectal surgery. Nontraditional communications techniques of this type do not just contribute to the body of legal and medical scholarship; they also help professionals better communicate complex concepts and arguments to clients, patients, colleagues, and peers, thereby making law and medicine more meaningful and accessible to those whom the professions serve

Recommended Citation

Bose Brill, Seuli and Brill, Christian H. (2026) "If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You): Billy Joel Lyrics in Legal and Medical Scholarship," Touro Law Review: Vol. 41: No. 1, Article 33.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.tourolaw.edu/lawreview/vol41/iss1/33