On the latest episode of AnthroPuzzled, we sit down with Leila Rodriguez, an anthropologist and demographer and associate professor at the University of Puerto Rico who works as a cultural expert witness in legal cases.

Leila's expertise is frequently called upon in criminal, immigration, and asylum, where she provides courts with cultural context to help judges better understand behavior, identity, and social dynamics across different societies. Rather than determining guilt or innocence, her role is to explain how cultural and social factors shape lived experiences, particularly in cases involving migrants and marginalized communities.

Her work bridges anthropology and the law, translating nuanced cultural knowledge into forms that can be used within legal systems that often demand clear, categorical answers. Leila also reflects on the ethical challenges of this work, including essentialization, questions of representation, and the tension between anthropological complexity and legal standards of evidence.

Listen now to learn how anthropology functions inside the courtroom and why cultural expertise matters in legal decision-making.