Diversity Scholar Recipients
Diversity Scholar Recipients
Encouraging diversity and inclusion within the field of ADR
In addition to these individualized grants, the AAA-ICDR Foundation has established diversity scholarships at Howard University and North Carolina Central University, two historically Black colleges and universities that offer certificates in dispute resolution programs in their law schools.
Both scholarships involve a three-year commitment of $150,000, $50,000 annually, to award scholarships to second- or third-year law school students in certificate in dispute resolution programs. Scholarship recipients will be selected yearly, in September, by each law school.
Scholar Recipients
Scholar
Sharon Price-Cates
New Jersey, United States
School
I am working diligently to embark on a new career as an ADR professional. I have two decades of experience as an advocate in labor and employment, including in the arbitral forum. In addition to becoming an arbitrator for labor, employment and consumer matters, I want to expand my work as I gain experience and also undertake high-quality mediation training and development.
GRANT AMOUNT
$2,000
Program
AAA Fundamentals and Best Practices and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service - Becoming a Labor Arbitrator
Scholar
Milagros Maribel Rojas Blas
Peru
School
Arbanza School of Arbitration
My career goals include:
• To collaborate with and support other initiatives that deal with diversity and inclusion towards making international arbitration equitable for all participants
• Gain experience in both international arbitration and general litigation
• Advance the interests of woman practitioners and promote the diversity in international dispute resolution
• To support in the writing of academic articles related to international arbitration and information
• To promote the publication of articles aimed at discussing problems and challenges about systemic discrimination in international arbitration
GRANT AMOUNT
$390
Program
Arbanza School of Arbitration - Investment Arbitration Course
Scholar
Suzanne W. Ockleberry
Georgia, United States
School
Cornell University School of Industrial Labor Relations
My career goal is to be one of the best arbitrators/neutrals in the field, become a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators and eventually teach courses on labor/employment at the college level. I decided to become an arbitrator due to my experience and keen interest in labor/employment matters as well as the lack of diversity (Females/African Americans) in the field.
GRANT AMOUNT
$2,000
Program
Three courses at Cornell University School of Industrial Labor Relations
Scholar
Marjorie Vieira
Brazil
School
Humboldt University of Berlin
My career goal is to become a lawyer specialized in international dispute resolution in order to act as counsel, mediator and arbitrator in international disputes. I also plan to pursue a PhD to become a university professor in the IDR field.
GRANT AMOUNT
$2,000
Program
LLM program at Humboldt University of Berlin
Scholar
Lauren Jones
New York, United States
School
Virtual Foundations of Organizational Ombudsman Class
I would like to ultimately have my own ADR practice covering all the ADR disciplines or work in an ADR capacity with a corporation.
GRANT AMOUNT
$1,995
Program
Virtual Foundations of Organizational Ombudsman Class
Scholar
Jessica Yeh
California, United States
School
ABA Dispute Resolution Arbitration Training Conference
I wish to be a full time Arbitrator and Mediator. I eventually hope to create more community programs in ADR that will be accessible to underserved and differently-abled communities that do not have widespread access to arbitration or mediation as a means to solve their disputes as an alternative to traditional litigation.
GRANT AMOUNT
$475
Program
ABA Dispute Resolution Arbitration Training Conference
Scholar
Edwin Roman
California, United States
School
American University Washington College of Law
Chiefly, my goal is to become a high-caliber expert in International Arbitration and Mediation in Mexico. Likewise, at the same time, I am going to study some subjects in order to sit to the New York Bar, so this LLM program will help me to understand the common law and see the differences with the civil law.
GRANT AMOUNT
$2,000
Program
LL.M. in International Arbitration and Business Law at American University Washington College of Law
Scholar
Ashley Meadows
New York, United States
School
Pepperdine School of Law
To become a member of the arbitration roster for FINRA and AAA.
GRANT AMOUNT
$2,000
Program
LLM in Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine School of Law
Scholar
Ashita Alag
India
School
Harvard Law School
After my LL.M., I intend to work at an international law firm to gain additional arbitration experience before returning to India to start my career as an arbitration practitioner. While working as an arbitration practitioner I want to push for inclusion of more women, especially women from my region and community to have access to the arbitration profession. In the long run I also want to build on the research done for my dissertation titled “Third Party Funding in International Commercial Arbitration” and author a book on the subject.
GRANT AMOUNT
$2,000
Program
LLM Program at Harvard Law School
Scholar
Tara Brin
Michigan, United States
School
Wayne County Dispute Resolution Center
I use my mediation training on a daily basis as a Civil Rights Investigator for the City of Detroit and general civil volunteer mediator for the Wayne County Dispute Resolution Center. I hope to further my career in public service and volunteering with goals of criminal justice reform, enhanced communication opportunities between parties, and deterrence of escalation in cases through mediation. At the City of Detroit Civil Rights Department, I hope to expand mediation opportunities to residents and employees of the City prior to becoming part of the legal system. I aspire to become a full time mediator in the public sector
GRANT AMOUNT
$1,095
Program
Domestic Relations Mediation Training and Domestic Violence Screening Training through Wayne County Dispute Resolution Center
Scholar Recipients
Scholar
Sharon Price-Cates
New Jersey, United States
School
I am working diligently to embark on a new career as an ADR professional. I have two decades of experience as an advocate in labor and employment, including in the arbitral forum. In addition to becoming an arbitrator for labor, employment and consumer matters, I want to expand my work as I gain experience and also undertake high-quality mediation training and development.
GRANT AMOUNT
$2,000
Program
AAA Fundamentals and Best Practices and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service - Becoming a Labor Arbitrator
Scholar
Milagros Maribel Rojas Blas
Peru
School
Arbanza School of Arbitration
My career goals include:
• To collaborate with and support other initiatives that deal with diversity and inclusion towards making international arbitration equitable for all participants
• Gain experience in both international arbitration and general litigation
• Advance the interests of woman practitioners and promote the diversity in international dispute resolution
• To support in the writing of academic articles related to international arbitration and information
• To promote the publication of articles aimed at discussing problems and challenges about systemic discrimination in international arbitration
GRANT AMOUNT
$390
Program
Arbanza School of Arbitration - Investment Arbitration Course
Scholar
Suzanne W. Ockleberry
Georgia, United States
School
Cornell University School of Industrial Labor Relations
My career goal is to be one of the best arbitrators/neutrals in the field, become a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators and eventually teach courses on labor/employment at the college level. I decided to become an arbitrator due to my experience and keen interest in labor/employment matters as well as the lack of diversity (Females/African Americans) in the field.
GRANT AMOUNT
$2,000
Program
Three courses at Cornell University School of Industrial Labor Relations
Scholar
Marjorie Vieira
Brazil
School
Humboldt University of Berlin
My career goal is to become a lawyer specialized in international dispute resolution in order to act as counsel, mediator and arbitrator in international disputes. I also plan to pursue a PhD to become a university professor in the IDR field.
GRANT AMOUNT
$2,000
Program
LLM program at Humboldt University of Berlin
Scholar
Lauren Jones
New York, United States
School
Virtual Foundations of Organizational Ombudsman Class
I would like to ultimately have my own ADR practice covering all the ADR disciplines or work in an ADR capacity with a corporation.
GRANT AMOUNT
$1,995
Program
Virtual Foundations of Organizational Ombudsman Class
Scholar
Jessica Yeh
California, United States
School
ABA Dispute Resolution Arbitration Training Conference
I wish to be a full time Arbitrator and Mediator. I eventually hope to create more community programs in ADR that will be accessible to underserved and differently-abled communities that do not have widespread access to arbitration or mediation as a means to solve their disputes as an alternative to traditional litigation.
GRANT AMOUNT
$475
Program
ABA Dispute Resolution Arbitration Training Conference
Scholar
Edwin Roman
California, United States
School
American University Washington College of Law
Chiefly, my goal is to become a high-caliber expert in International Arbitration and Mediation in Mexico. Likewise, at the same time, I am going to study some subjects in order to sit to the New York Bar, so this LLM program will help me to understand the common law and see the differences with the civil law.
GRANT AMOUNT
$2,000
Program
LL.M. in International Arbitration and Business Law at American University Washington College of Law
Scholar
Ashley Meadows
New York, United States
School
Pepperdine School of Law
To become a member of the arbitration roster for FINRA and AAA.
GRANT AMOUNT
$2,000
Program
LLM in Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine School of Law
Scholar
Ashita Alag
India
School
Harvard Law School
After my LL.M., I intend to work at an international law firm to gain additional arbitration experience before returning to India to start my career as an arbitration practitioner. While working as an arbitration practitioner I want to push for inclusion of more women, especially women from my region and community to have access to the arbitration profession. In the long run I also want to build on the research done for my dissertation titled “Third Party Funding in International Commercial Arbitration” and author a book on the subject.
GRANT AMOUNT
$2,000
Program
LLM Program at Harvard Law School
Scholar
Tara Brin
Michigan, United States
School
Wayne County Dispute Resolution Center
I use my mediation training on a daily basis as a Civil Rights Investigator for the City of Detroit and general civil volunteer mediator for the Wayne County Dispute Resolution Center. I hope to further my career in public service and volunteering with goals of criminal justice reform, enhanced communication opportunities between parties, and deterrence of escalation in cases through mediation. At the City of Detroit Civil Rights Department, I hope to expand mediation opportunities to residents and employees of the City prior to becoming part of the legal system. I aspire to become a full time mediator in the public sector
GRANT AMOUNT
$1,095
Program
Domestic Relations Mediation Training and Domestic Violence Screening Training through Wayne County Dispute Resolution Center