She holds a PhD in cultural anthropology from Stanford University and a JD from The American University, Washington College of Law. Her research and teaching focus on the intersections of law and cultural practice, especially with respect to human rights. Her book, The Politics of Women’s Rights in Iran (Princeton University Press, 2009), analyzes the politicization of “rights talk” and women’s subjectivities in Iran. She is currently working on a second manuscript that examines the Muslim mandate of mercy as it takes shape in Iran’s criminal justice system.