Costa Rica

Bárbara Medrano Vega is a Costa Rican lawyer and university professor. She holds a Law degree from the University of Costa Rica and combines legal practice, teaching, and research, with particular interests in human rights, democracy, access to justice, the rights of children and adolescents, and the evolving relationship between law and information technology.

Her work is guided by an interest in the space between what the law says and what people actually experience. Her research and professional practice explore how law can move beyond formal rules to become a meaningful tool for protecting rights and strengthening democratic institutions.

Her legal practice includes work involving family law, children’s rights, gender-based violence, access to justice, and emerging challenges at the intersection of law and technology. As a university professor, she brings these experiences into the classroom, encouraging students to examine law in its broader social and institutional context.