Scholar

Isabella de Assis Godoy

Humbolt, CA

School

Humbolt University, IDR LLM at Humbolt

As a qualified Brazilian lawyer, a Latin-American queer woman, and a cancer survivor, I believe that my unique perspective and experiences would make a valuable contribution to the field of international dispute resolution. I have been accepted into the International Dispute Resolution (IDR LL.M.) program at Humboldt University for the class of 2022/2023. Pursuing this degree has been a long-standing goal of mine, and I am honored to have been selected for this competitive program.
In addition to my legal qualifications, I have also been working with legal design towards a more accessible law environment. As a designer and legal professional, I recognize the importance of using creative and innovative approaches to improve legal accessibility and understanding, particularly for underrepresented groups. I believe that my experience in legal design will be an asset to the field of dispute resolution.
Furthermore, I am myself an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the arbitration sphere. I have been working as a volunteer with the Moot Alumni Association (MAA) in the D&I team, where I have contributed to initiatives aimed at increasing representation and promoting equal access to opportunities within the field. I am passionate about the potential for arbitration to foster greater social justice and equality, and I am excited to continue this work as a student and future practitioner.

Scholar

Luis Brugal

Geneva Switzerland

ABOUT

Luis is a Dominican qualified lawyer with experience in international dispute settlement and international economic law. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) in Santo Domingo, where he graduated with honors Magna cum laude. During his law studies, he was editor and chief of publications for the UNIBE Law Review.

He worked at the International Legal Defense Department of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Dominican Republic as a member of the State’s legal team on investor-state arbitrations, particularly in the construction, agriculture, and transport industries; as well as trade disputes before the World Trade Organization (WTO). Concurrently, he contributed as a member of the negotiating team for trade and investment treaties and represented the Dominican Republic as a delegate to Working Group III of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), which discusses the reform of the current investor-state dispute settlement system. His work experience also extends to the private
sector, where he dedicated several years to civil, commercial, and administrative litigation while working at a prestigious law firm in the Dominican Republic.

Scholar

Xenia Campas Gene

New York, NY

School

Cardozo School of Law

My name Xènia Campàs Gené, I am a lawyer from Spain with a Master’s in Sports Law and currently undertaking an LLM in Dispute Resolution and Advocacy at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, which I will finish in May. As a student looking to work in the field of ADR, I am eager to participate in the ABA’s 25th Annual Dispute Resolution Spring Conference as a scholarship recipient conference and gain valuable insights and knowledge from industry experts.
I have been following the ABA’s 25th Annual Dispute Resolution Spring Conference for several years now and have always been impressed by the caliber of speakers and the depth of content covered. I am particularly interested in the ethics and inclusion topics that will be discussed and am eager to learn more about the latest trends and best practices in the area of arbitration.

Scholar

Judith Lam

Los Angeles, CA

ABOUT

Judy is a Partner in Maynard's Litigation Practice. With 25 years of experience in commercial litigation, Judy primarily focuses on matters of complex business disputes in the areas of banking and finance, real estate and construction, business torts, and fraud and investment schemes. She positions the client’s case to the best advantage, with aggressive trial advocacy or skillful negotiation and resolution. Judy is also a trained mediator and arbitrator, currently serving on the panels of FINRA and the American Arbitration Association.
Judy devotes time pro bono cases serving immigrant communities and various bar and community organizations. She is very engaged in cross-cultural communication and speaks Spanish and Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin) with varying degrees of proficiency.

Scholar

Harshitha Senthilkumaran (Ram)

East Lansing, MI

School

Michigan State University

I’m a young attorney under 40 of Indian Origin—with practice experience in multiple jurisdictions
including India, the UK, the EU, ASEAN, and the USA. I’ve presented at several workshops, training, and conferences on ‘Microaggressions in dispute resolution – Diverse Neutral standing’ and many specific topics of interest focusing on the diversity of ADR neutrals. I’ve presented at both state and national levels including the annual conferences of the State Bar of Michigan and the National Legal Education Conference.
To me, inclusion and diversity are ingrained. My vision is a good and just world where people are content, fulfilled, and have equal opportunities. I was recently quoted by Ms. Jeanne Charles, Arbitrator & Mediator-Federal impasses panel (appointed by President Biden) for my diversity activism in ADR and particularly labor and employment arbitration. I’m Currently chairing the Michigan Dispute Resolution Journal initiative (Diversity and inclusion action team) State Bar of Michigan. I’m an active participant/member of the diversity group and minority arbitrators promoting awareness programs and participating in weekly meetings for minority arbitrators.
With focused advanced training in arbitration practice, I will continue to share knowledge with fellow minority ADR practitioners for improved support within the minority ADR community. My career goals include improving low-functioning areas of ADR workspace to promote diversity and inclusion, increasing professional knowledge and adequate training, expanding the ADR network, and advancing to a leadership position in ADR groups amongst other things.

Scholar

Aisha M Suleiman

Malibu, CA

School

Pepperdine School of Law

Aisha is currently an LLM Student of International Commercial Arbitration at Pepperdine University. She serves as the Vice President of the Pepperdine International Arbitration Society. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), California Arbitration (Cal. Arb), Young-OGEMID, and Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, Nigeria.
Before enrolling at Pepperdine, Aisha held a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws from Ahmadu Bello University Nigeria, where she specialized in Intellectual Property Laws. She has also been certified to teach by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). She is a licensed Attorney admitted to practice law in Nigeria. Her professional approach and research areas include Arbitration, mediation, Intellectual Property Law and Employment Law.
As a Muslim African woman who has experienced firsthand the ugly effect of inter-religious and interethnic conflicts across Nigeria, she is passionate about utilizing her career to bridge the conflict gaps arising from these differences.

Scholar

Shakhzoda Tuychieva

Pittsburg, PA

School

University of Pittsburg, School of Law

Shakhzoda Tuychieva is a law graduate from Uzbekistan (Central Asia) and a former LL.M.student from Penn State Law (LL.M.' 2022). Currently, she is pursuing her S.J.D degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where she is writing her dissertation on the legitimacy of investment treaty arbitration. Moreover, she serves as Teaching Assistant at Cornell School of Law.

Before starting her LL.M. degree, she practiced investment law and arbitration at law firms, presented as Secretary at Tashkent International Arbitration Center and worked as Deputy Dean at Tashkent State University of Law. In the past two years, she served as a Vis Moot team coach and FDI Team advisor at Tashkent State University of Law.

Scholar

Antoni Otalega

Basel Switzerland

School

Basel Winter Arbitration School at the University of Basel

Master of Laws student form Poland. During his 5 years cycle at university he has succeeded in numerous international mediation and negotiation competitions, including FDI Mediation Moot and INADR Law School Mediation Tournament in Chicago. He is now supplementing his ADR knowledge with arbitration by interning for a boutique law firm in Poland. He believes the pursuit of ADR literacy will let him ultimately become a comprehensive dispute resolver.

Scholar

Pushkar Keshavmurthy

Washington, D.C.

School

Georgetown University

I am an Indian-qualified Attorney and an LLM Student at Georgetown University, where I am specializing in International Arbitration.

Being born in a Vokkaliga community (4th category of caste system in India and a historically underrepresented in both the ADR and legal profession) and hailing from Western Ghats Forests of Southern Karnataka in India, I have been fortunate to be studying in a prestigious LLM program at Georgetown University with a merit scholarship from the law school.

Having worked both as a counsel in courts and in arbitrations, and as a Case Manager/Tribunal Secretary at the Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration, I have appreciated the importance of ADR as a faster and cost-effective dispute resolution process. With my qualifications of an accredited mediator and ADR skills, I aim to strengthen my counsel practice by also being an arbitrator and mediator listed by the AAA roaster. I also wish to contribute to the AAA-ICDR Asia Case Management team based in Singapore in the near future.

Scholar

Caterina Cesario

New Orleans, LA

ABOUT

Caterina was born in Italy where she started her journey to become an ADR practitioner. She first enrolled in a double-degree in Italian and French law offered by the University of Florence in collaboration with the University Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, and this brought her to travel from her native town, Trieste, not far from Venice and at the border with Slovenia, to Florence and then to Paris. Eager to learn more and nurture her passion, she decided to pursue an LL.M. in Dispute Resolution and Advocacy at Cardozo School of Law in New York. Being able to travel, live and attend classes in foreign countries has shaped her international profile, and strengthened her ability to learn from diversity. Strongly convinced of the potential ADR tools, such as negotiation, mediation, but also arbitration, have to make the world a better place she is focusing in building her professional career in ADR.