Victor D. Quintanilla

Victor D. Quintanilla is Professor of Law and Val Nolan Faculty Fellow at Indiana University's Maurer School of Law, with additional affiliation in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. He serves as Co-Director of the Center for Law, Society, & Culture and holds status as a Faculty Affiliate of the Equity Accelerator and Schmidt Futures Innovation Fellow. Quintanilla joined the Maurer School of Law faculty in 2012, bringing expertise that bridges legal scholarship with social psychology.

Quintanilla earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University (2024), J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center (2004, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif), and M.P.A. and B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin (2001). Prior to academia, he worked as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice and as an associate at Sidley Austin LLP.

His research program uniquely integrates social psychology with legal scholarship, focusing on access to justice and legal education. Quintanilla investigates how psychological methods can improve experiences for unrepresented persons in court, particularly vulnerable minorities and disadvantaged groups. His work develops scalable psychological interventions that enhance success on the LSAT and bar exam through growth mindsets, adaptive stress mindsets, and social belonging concepts. He creates research infrastructure for continuous improvement of equitable experiences in courts, collaborating with judges to increase justice and equity.

Quintanilla's publications reveal consistent focus on civil procedure, pro se representation, and the psychological dimensions of legal processes. His work demonstrates how psychological science can improve civil rights enforcement, address cognitive biases against unrepresented litigants, and develop human-centered civil justice design. Recent research examines digital inequalities in virtual court systems and pandemic impacts on bar exam performance.

• Val Nolan Faculty Fellow
• Schmidt Futures Innovation Fellow
• Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences Fellow at Stanford University (2015-2016)
• American Bar Foundation / JPB Foundation, A2J Fellow (2020-2022)
• Faculty Affiliate of the Equity Accelerator

Quintanilla's research has received funding from the American Bar Foundation, AccessLex Institute, Character Lab, Pew Charitable Trusts, and Schmidt Futures. He leads initiatives that enhance equity in courts and across legal education, developing interventions to improve the civil justice system. His work with the Indiana Civil Legal Needs Study and Legal Aid System Scan demonstrates commitment to practical applications of his research. Quintanilla has presented his findings at major academic conferences including the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, and the Law and Society Association.

Quintanilla directs research infrastructure for continuous improvement of equitable experiences in courts and leads access to justice initiatives. His work with the Center for Law, Society, & Culture fosters interdisciplinary collaboration between legal scholars and social scientists. Through his innovative approach combining psychological methods with legal scholarship, he creates practical interventions that address systemic barriers in the justice system.