Attorney Melli Darsa shared her perspective on the rule of law in Indonesia during a visit with law school faculty on Oct. 5.

The founder and managing partner of a Melli Darsa & Co., a major law firm in Jakarta, and the vice chair of Indonesian Capital Markets Lawyers Association, Darsa visited the law school at the start of her stint as a 2010 Eisenhower Fellow.

"I’m here to get ideas for strengthening the legal institutions of Indonesia," said Darsa, who was a national semi-finalist for chairmanship of the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Commission.

A variety of forces allow corruption to flourish in Indonesia, discouraging many educated people from entering politics or government, Darsa said.

"The last 12 years have changed Indonesia into a true democracy and many hail the political, economic and legal reforms that have occurred," Darsa said. "But as long as basic legal institutions of Indonesia are tainted with corruption, the country will never fulfill its true potential."

Through her fellowship, Darsa hopes to explore avenues for improving the administration of justice in Indonesia and better ensuring that institutions such as the courts, law enforcement and correctional facilities function properly.