September 6, 2002

Noted expert on constitutional law and gender violence will expand knowledge as Fulbright scholar

by Angela R. Anthony, Assistant Director of Public Affairs

It never happens this quickly, especially on the first try. But on her initial attempt, Isabel Medina, professor of law, was selected to be a Fulbright scholar and will assume her duties in March at the University of Athens. There, she will teach a constitutional law course and conduct research on the interaction of gender and legal norms in Greek drama, and international responses to gender violence.

"This is my dream," beams Medina, who has taught at the law school since 1991. "This is what I would dream of thinking about, teaching about, and writing about. I feel very lucky." The research will bring together several elements of Medina's experience. While it is common knowledge that the native Cuban is a constitutional scholar and a dedicated teacher, what may be lesser known is that prior to attending law school, Medina pursued a professional career in the theatre, taught theatre at Xavier University of Louisiana, and completed master's work in theatre and communications at the University of New Orleans. "I have remained interested in theatre and the interaction between law and art," she acknowledges.

In her second year at Loyola, Medina organized and directed The Rules of the Game, a play by Syl Jones that explores race, affirmative action, and law schools. At the time, Loyola was aggressively seeking to enhance the strength of its African-American applicant and admit pool, Medina explains. "The play provided an opportunity for different views and feelings to be expressed without personal confrontation, and hopefully led to greater understanding between the races and persons of different cultural heritages. Theatre and art function as criticism, clarification of, and demands for modification of legal norms and societal order." For five years, she has taught a seminar titled "Film, Literature, Law, Gender" where students examine laws, statutes, cases, films and novels and explore their interaction with gender, sexual discrimination, and sexual violence.

Medina says she has specifically focused her research on Greek plays because they often challenge the views of the sexes, stereotypes, and how Greek society dealt with those stereotypes. Shakespeare too, she offers, challenged gender roles. In his plays, women play men, men play women, and women often emerge as intelligent and very articulate characters, whether it's Portia playing the role of advocate in court or Desdemona arguing her case to a room full of male lords. Most often it's the guys who fall apart. Medina says she strongly believes one of the highest functions of art is to stimulate change in society and in legal norms. "The artistic and scientific communities are more open and will begin discussions as it relates to societal changes," she says. "The legal community will engage in those discussions decades later."

Medina also has done extensive work in another area she will explore in Greece: violence against women and responses to that violence. In October 2000, she obtained funding for and organized a national conference at Loyola on integrating responses to domestic violence. The conference stressed a multidisciplinary approach to the problem, focusing attention on integrating the study of domestic violence as part of the law school curriculum. In past years, she has organized symposia on rape, diversity, and single sex education. Even with these successes and increasing advances the United States has made in being protective of women as equals, Medina says there is a potential problem. She explains, "In many ways, globalization represents positive things. It reminds us that we are all part of this world and what we do domestically has an impact abroad. Globalization also presents a challenge that our own attitudes and norms will be influenced by worldwide majority views. Despite its shortcomings, the United States has been a leader in the world in upholding and enforcing women's equality, not perfect, but better than the majority of the countries. In a substantial part of the world, legal systems still discriminate against women with regards to marriage, divorce, child custody, and sexual violence, among other things." The trip to the University of Athens will facilitate her research into constitutional norms and international responses to gender violence.

It's Greek to her

Prior to her Fulbright stay, Medina will travel to Greece later this month for a conference on public law risk. This will give her an opportunity to meet her new colleagues, talk with members of the Fulbright Commission, and find an apartment. She and two of her children will arrive in Greece in mid-January to begin her fellowship. She looks forward to her upcoming challenge, and her enthusiasm is unmasked. She is especially grateful to the law school and Dean Jim Klebba for being so supportive.

When her Greece assignment is upafter she has spent "every single day that I can in the country"Medina will present the customary report to the Fulbright Commission and write an article or book on her research. She will resume her teaching duties at Loyola next fall.