Exploring the Heart of Law: History Professor Earns Research Fellowship at Notre Dame to Study Emotions in Medieval Law
September 10, 2026
When we think about the law, we often think of the rules, procedures and impartial decisions. But according to Idaho State history assistant professor Meghan Woolley, emotions have always played a role in how people navigate the legal system.
Woolley has been awarded the A.W. Mellon Junior Faculty Fellowship in Medieval Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Beginning this Fall, she will spend nine months in Notre Dame’s Medieval Institute where she will focus on her first book project, tentatively titled The Heart of Law: Friendship and Emotions in the Early Common Law.
The fellowship is designed to provide junior faculty scholars with dedicated time to complete research and writing on a book manuscript while participating in the scholarly community in the Medieval Institute.
“It's a wonderful honor to receive a fellowship like this because it means that people in my field see potential in my work,” said Woolley. “That's very encouraging as I work on completing my first book project.”
Woolley’s research examines the role of emotions within medieval law, and she aims to look at the long history of how emotions such as love, anger, and sadness were incorporated into the common law in twelfth- and thirteenth-century England to shape a legal system as it was being developed. “We often think of law as something rational, but emotions and relationships are a key part of how cases are decided and even how legal theory is developed,” Woolley explained.
“In addition to working on my research, I'll be attending events on Medieval Studies at the Medieval Institute at Notre Dame, and I'll be working alongside other medievalists who study entirely different topics,” she said. “I anticipate this will be really generative for new ideas and readings to bring back to my classes, or maybe even some whole new courses.”
Woolley notes that the most valuable part of the fellowship is having more time to focus on research and continue developing her book. Her goal is to have a complete book manuscript ready for further revision and eventual publication.
“I'll be able to dive into legal records and medieval chronicles and then work on writing and revising. Spending nine months focused on this project will really allow me to think deeply and write—and rewrite,” said Woolley.
Woolley hopes the experience will strengthen not only her research, but also the questions, ideas and perspectives she brings back to her students at Â鶹´«Ã½AV.
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