Diversity Scholar Recipients
Diversity Scholar Recipients
Encouraging diversity and inclusion within the field of ADR
INDIVIDUAL SCHOLARSHIPS
The Fund provides financial assistance of up to $2,000 to students or professionals. This support can be used towards:
· Degree program or fellowship in alternative dispute resolution
· Conference or training program in alternative dispute resolution
The goal is to empower diverse leaders and professionals in ADR by helping them access education and training opportunities that advance their careers and enhance inclusivity within the field.
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR LAW STUDENTS AT HBCUs
The AAA-ICDR Foundation partners with law schools at two historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) – Howard University and North Carolina Central University – that offer certificates in dispute resolution. Key details include:
· $50,000 awarded annually to each law school.
· Scholarships specifically for second- and third-year law students pursuing certificates in dispute resolution.
· Recipients are selected each year in September by the respective law schools
Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients
2023 Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients
Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients
Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients
2023 Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients
Historically Black Colleges and University Scholarship Recipients
Scholar Recipient
2023 Scholarship Recipients
2022 Scholarship Recipients
2021 Scholarship Recipients
2020 Scholarship Recipients
Scholar
Gloria J. Medina
New York, NY
ABOUT
Gloria J. Medina is a Commercial Litigation Associate at Rivkin Radler, a mid-sized firm with offices in New York and New Jersey. There, she works primarily on commercial litigation and arbitration, with additional work in the fields of employment law, insurance defense, products liability, and professional liability.
Gloria graduated from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in May 2022, earning a J.D. and an Advanced Certificate in Dispute Resolution from the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution.
While in law school – where Gloria matriculated after a previous career in public service – she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the ADR Competition Honor Society, an analogue of Moot Court focusing on the disciplines of arbitration, mediation, and negotiation. Gloria also worked as: an Alexander Fellow, serving as a full-time judicial intern for Magistrate Judge Sarah Cave in the S.D.N.Y.; a student mediator in Cardozo’s Divorce Mediation Clinic; and as a member of the Innocence Project Clinic.
Gloria speaks Spanish natively and Mandarin Chinese at a basic level after studying the language at Wellesley College, from which she holds a B.A. in Philosophy with a Psychology minor.
In her free time, Gloria enjoys board games, apartment-gardening, and playing with her Golden Retriever, Leo.
Grant Amount
$500
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Amanda L. Scheeser
Ohio
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Antonia Gia Sanchez
Providence, RI
ABOUT
Gia Sanchez is Bristol Community College's Title IX & Equity Compliance Officer. Before working at Bristol, she was a partner in Pittsburgh law firms for over fifteen years. Gia represented employers and individuals in civil litigation, with an emphasis on employment discrimination and civil rights. Her experience includes prevailing in jury trials and appeals before state and federal courts, including in cases of first impression.
From the inception of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania’s Alternative Dispute Resolution program, Gia has served as a neutral. She completed lengthy mediation and conflict resolution training programs. Gia has also served as a hearing officer for public school districts.
Gia is an accomplished speaker and writer. She has served as a presenter for continuing legal education and trainer for non-attorneys. She co-facilitated a roundtable discussion on transgender inclusivity for the Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) East Coast Conference. The Public's Radio published her essay on gender identity which remains available online. On a lighter note, The New York Times published Gia's Tiny Love Story entitled "Living in the Light."
Gia is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where she was a member of the law review.
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Stacey Cameron
New York, NY
ABOUT
A native and true Southerner at heart, born and raised in Memphis, TN. Stacey M. Cameron is an Attorney and Advocate of Social Justice.
As an attorney with sixteen years of experience in advocating for clients from all walks of life, and licensed in both Georgia and New York, Stacey is committed to representing clients in need through her law firm: S. M Cameron Law and Mediation, PLLC/ LLC. Stacey’ law firm focuses on assisting clients within Estate Planning, Probate Administration, Guardianship Law and Mediation/ Arbitration.
Furthermore, as an alumna of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University with an undergraduate degree in Biology and having worked in both medical and chemical manufacturing laboratories as a scientist before law school, Stacey has a healthy dosage of curiosity for continued learning and growth. She is an enthusiastic leader with a passion and talent for motivating and empowering community through multiple levels and platforms. She has raised and is extremely proud of her two self-aware and outspoken young adult children, Nico and Jalyn.
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Nydia Shahjahan
New York, NY
ABOUT
Nydia Shahjahan is the Principal of Nydia Shahjahan, Esq. P.C., a business law practice focused on providing strategic and cost-effective counsel and civil litigation services for the business-minded client.
Ms. Shahjahan graduated from City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law in 2009, and Georgetown University in 2004 with an undergraduate degree in foreign service.
Ms. Shahjahan began her career litigating for the New York State Attorney General Office’s Civil Rights Bureau as an Assistant Attorney General. Thereafter, she associated with the firm Kelley Drye & Warren LLP in the New York office. Ms. Shahjahan represented corporate clients in connection with complex commercial litigation within the financial industry, along with pro bono matters. Building on her experience as a commercial litigator, Ms. Shahjahan formed her business law practice, efficiently providing legal risk management and outside general counsel services to a varied client base ranging from New York-based businesses to international corporations.
Ms. Shahjahan is a trained mediator and consistently advises clients to pursue a business resolution agreeable to the parties to avoid the monetary costs and emotional burden of litigation.
Grant Amount
$500
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Venky Venkatraman
Coppell, TX
ABOUT
A patent Attorney, mediator, and consultant with engineering and management experience, Mr. Vekatraman focused primarily on patent (Intellectual Property) law, business (corporate) law, international law, University Disciplinary Proceedings (Title IX Student Sexual Misconduct Defense), and family law in both transactional and litigation practice. He is currently providing IP related service by leveraging the resources of an established offshore IP Services firm, and is experienced in the areas of electrical engineering and software development on various platforms, mostly in a supervisory capacity.
His extensive management experience ranging from software project management to managing teams of several hundreds of people, both onsite and offshore, supports the Information Technology needs of large US corporations.
He is licensed to practice law in the State of New York and in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO). He is credentialed by the Texas Mediator Credentialling Association as an Advanced Mediator, having successfully mediated numerous disputes over several years.
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Alejandro Martinez Sanchez
New York, NY
School
Cardozo School of Law, New York, NY
Alejandro Martinez is a Spanish lawyer and an LL.M candidate in Dispute Resolution and Advocacy at Cardozo School of Law. With a strong passion for litigation and international arbitration, Alejandro is dedicated to expanding his knowledge and expertise in this field.
He started his studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where he also did an exchange at Fudan University, in Shanghai. After, he started a double LLM at ESADE, in Barcelona, and as a result of his commitment to dispute resolution he is pursuing an LL.M in Dispute Resolution in New York. In the meantime, he has been actively engaged in courses offered by renowned institutions such as CIARB, ICC, and SIAC. He has practical experience as an arbitrator in moot court competitions and currently coaches the FDI Moot team at Christ University of Bangalore.
In his professional experience, Alejandro has worked in different jurisdictions and with clients from different nationalities, his solid international background and his fluency in different languages have helped him to successfully work in the international sphere. His experience is focused on litigation and international transactions.
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
35th Annual ITA Workshop and Annual Meeting
Remedies in International Arbitration: Wielding Arbitral Power for Effective Redress
Scholar
Inigo Kwan Parsons
Australia, Aotearoa
School
LLM (International Arbitration) course at University of Miami School of Law
Inigo is an indigenous lawyer from Aotearoa New Zealand and currently works at Herbert Smith Freehills in Perth, Australia. His practice centers on the resolution of complex disputes in all key fora, with a particular focus on arbitration (both domestic and international). He is dual-qualified in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, and is associated with leading arbitral institutions in both jurisdictions.
Inigo has a wide range of experience working in different sectors, with significant experience in resolving disputes in construction, infrastructure, oil and gas, and energy. He also has a particular interest in legal
issues regarding indigenous rights and climate change, and has authored several articles on arbitration- related issues, including the application of Māori indigenous law in arbitral proceedings.
Grant Amount
$2,000
Scholar
Hardik Jain
Geneva, Switzerland
ABOUT
Hardik is an India qualified lawyer, who has been admitted for a master’s course at the Geneva LL.M. in
International Dispute Settlement (“MIDS”). He completed his B.A.LL.B. (Hons.) in 2019 from the National Law Institute University, Bhopal, one of the leading law schools in India. He then worked with AZB & Partners and DSK Legal, two premier law firms in India as an associate in the dispute resolution teams. In these roles, he has handled several high-stake commercial arbitrations on shareholders and construction disputes. He has also represented clients in associated litigations before courts seeking appointment of arbitral tribunals, obtaining urgent interim reliefs, and challenging arbitral awards. He also has experience of representing clients in civil disputes, insolvency proceedings, and constitutional and testamentary matters.
Hardik co-founded and served as the content editor of the Indian Arbitration Law Review, a highly reputed and specialized periodical devoted to arbitration law. During his time as an undergraduate student, he represented his university at the 26th Vis moot competition in 2019 and was the part of the team which won the pre-moot held at Budapest. Hardik’s research paper on the 2015 amendments to
the Indian Arbitration Act and their retrospective applicability to certain pending court proceedings, was published in the Journal on Alternative Dispute Resolution.
By pursuing a master’s at the MIDS, he intends to build on his educational and professional experience in arbitration and gain the necessary skills to become an international arbitration practitioner. Upon graduation, Hardik plans to join the dispute resolution team in an international law firm and use the knowledge and skills he has gained to provide the best solutions for his clients both inside and outside the courtroom.
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
Geneva LLM in International Dispute Resolution
Scholar
Eva Litina
Athens, Greece
School
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Virtual Diploma in International Maritime Arbitration
Dr. Eva Litina is a Legal Expert at the Hellenic Consumers’ Ombudsman, and an attorney-at law admitted to the Athens and New York bars. She completed her PhD thesis in International Maritime Arbitration at the Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport of the University of the Aegean whereshe is also teaching commercial law.
She studied law at the University of Athens and received her Master of Laws from New York University School of Law. For her research, Eva has been granted university-funded scholarships from the University of the Aegean. She has also been awarded the Comité Maritime International (yCMI) Essay Prize 2020, the International Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section Scholarship 2017, and scholarships from the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for International, European and Regulatory Procedural Law in 2017 and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg in 2018.
Her monograph entitled ‘Theory, Law and Practice of Maritime Arbitration: The Case of International Contracts for the Carriage of Goods by Sea’ was published with Kluwer Law International. Eva is also an LMAA Supporting Member and Vice Chair of the Community Building, Networking & Scholarship Committee of Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers (REAL).
Given her academic expertise in maritime arbitration and strong interest in a career as a maritime arbitrator, the CIArb Diploma in International Maritime Arbitration provides an opportunity for her to achieve Fellowship of CIArb. She aims to deepen her knowledge on legal principles, process, practice and procedure in international maritime arbitration, the processes followed by an arbitrator in defining the issues that have to be decided by an award, dealing with the submissions made by the parties, analyzing the applicable law, evaluating the evidence and award writing.
Grant Amount
$2,000
Scholar Recipient
2023 Scholarship Recipients
2022 Scholarship Recipients
2021 Scholarship Recipients
2020 Scholarship Recipients
Scholar
Gloria J. Medina
New York, NY
ABOUT
Gloria J. Medina is a Commercial Litigation Associate at Rivkin Radler, a mid-sized firm with offices in New York and New Jersey. There, she works primarily on commercial litigation and arbitration, with additional work in the fields of employment law, insurance defense, products liability, and professional liability.
Gloria graduated from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in May 2022, earning a J.D. and an Advanced Certificate in Dispute Resolution from the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution.
While in law school – where Gloria matriculated after a previous career in public service – she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the ADR Competition Honor Society, an analogue of Moot Court focusing on the disciplines of arbitration, mediation, and negotiation. Gloria also worked as: an Alexander Fellow, serving as a full-time judicial intern for Magistrate Judge Sarah Cave in the S.D.N.Y.; a student mediator in Cardozo’s Divorce Mediation Clinic; and as a member of the Innocence Project Clinic.
Gloria speaks Spanish natively and Mandarin Chinese at a basic level after studying the language at Wellesley College, from which she holds a B.A. in Philosophy with a Psychology minor.
In her free time, Gloria enjoys board games, apartment-gardening, and playing with her Golden Retriever, Leo.
Grant Amount
$500
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Amanda L. Scheeser
Ohio
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Antonia Gia Sanchez
Providence, RI
ABOUT
Gia Sanchez is Bristol Community College's Title IX & Equity Compliance Officer. Before working at Bristol, she was a partner in Pittsburgh law firms for over fifteen years. Gia represented employers and individuals in civil litigation, with an emphasis on employment discrimination and civil rights. Her experience includes prevailing in jury trials and appeals before state and federal courts, including in cases of first impression.
From the inception of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania’s Alternative Dispute Resolution program, Gia has served as a neutral. She completed lengthy mediation and conflict resolution training programs. Gia has also served as a hearing officer for public school districts.
Gia is an accomplished speaker and writer. She has served as a presenter for continuing legal education and trainer for non-attorneys. She co-facilitated a roundtable discussion on transgender inclusivity for the Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) East Coast Conference. The Public's Radio published her essay on gender identity which remains available online. On a lighter note, The New York Times published Gia's Tiny Love Story entitled "Living in the Light."
Gia is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where she was a member of the law review.
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Stacey Cameron
New York, NY
ABOUT
A native and true Southerner at heart, born and raised in Memphis, TN. Stacey M. Cameron is an Attorney and Advocate of Social Justice.
As an attorney with sixteen years of experience in advocating for clients from all walks of life, and licensed in both Georgia and New York, Stacey is committed to representing clients in need through her law firm: S. M Cameron Law and Mediation, PLLC/ LLC. Stacey’ law firm focuses on assisting clients within Estate Planning, Probate Administration, Guardianship Law and Mediation/ Arbitration.
Furthermore, as an alumna of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University with an undergraduate degree in Biology and having worked in both medical and chemical manufacturing laboratories as a scientist before law school, Stacey has a healthy dosage of curiosity for continued learning and growth. She is an enthusiastic leader with a passion and talent for motivating and empowering community through multiple levels and platforms. She has raised and is extremely proud of her two self-aware and outspoken young adult children, Nico and Jalyn.
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Nydia Shahjahan
New York, NY
ABOUT
Nydia Shahjahan is the Principal of Nydia Shahjahan, Esq. P.C., a business law practice focused on providing strategic and cost-effective counsel and civil litigation services for the business-minded client.
Ms. Shahjahan graduated from City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law in 2009, and Georgetown University in 2004 with an undergraduate degree in foreign service.
Ms. Shahjahan began her career litigating for the New York State Attorney General Office’s Civil Rights Bureau as an Assistant Attorney General. Thereafter, she associated with the firm Kelley Drye & Warren LLP in the New York office. Ms. Shahjahan represented corporate clients in connection with complex commercial litigation within the financial industry, along with pro bono matters. Building on her experience as a commercial litigator, Ms. Shahjahan formed her business law practice, efficiently providing legal risk management and outside general counsel services to a varied client base ranging from New York-based businesses to international corporations.
Ms. Shahjahan is a trained mediator and consistently advises clients to pursue a business resolution agreeable to the parties to avoid the monetary costs and emotional burden of litigation.
Grant Amount
$500
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Venky Venkatraman
Coppell, TX
ABOUT
A patent Attorney, mediator, and consultant with engineering and management experience, Mr. Vekatraman focused primarily on patent (Intellectual Property) law, business (corporate) law, international law, University Disciplinary Proceedings (Title IX Student Sexual Misconduct Defense), and family law in both transactional and litigation practice. He is currently providing IP related service by leveraging the resources of an established offshore IP Services firm, and is experienced in the areas of electrical engineering and software development on various platforms, mostly in a supervisory capacity.
His extensive management experience ranging from software project management to managing teams of several hundreds of people, both onsite and offshore, supports the Information Technology needs of large US corporations.
He is licensed to practice law in the State of New York and in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO). He is credentialed by the Texas Mediator Credentialling Association as an Advanced Mediator, having successfully mediated numerous disputes over several years.
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
Higginbotham Fellows Program
Scholar
Alejandro Martinez Sanchez
New York, NY
School
Cardozo School of Law, New York, NY
Alejandro Martinez is a Spanish lawyer and an LL.M candidate in Dispute Resolution and Advocacy at Cardozo School of Law. With a strong passion for litigation and international arbitration, Alejandro is dedicated to expanding his knowledge and expertise in this field.
He started his studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where he also did an exchange at Fudan University, in Shanghai. After, he started a double LLM at ESADE, in Barcelona, and as a result of his commitment to dispute resolution he is pursuing an LL.M in Dispute Resolution in New York. In the meantime, he has been actively engaged in courses offered by renowned institutions such as CIARB, ICC, and SIAC. He has practical experience as an arbitrator in moot court competitions and currently coaches the FDI Moot team at Christ University of Bangalore.
In his professional experience, Alejandro has worked in different jurisdictions and with clients from different nationalities, his solid international background and his fluency in different languages have helped him to successfully work in the international sphere. His experience is focused on litigation and international transactions.
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
35th Annual ITA Workshop and Annual Meeting
Remedies in International Arbitration: Wielding Arbitral Power for Effective Redress
Scholar
Inigo Kwan Parsons
Australia, Aotearoa
School
LLM (International Arbitration) course at University of Miami School of Law
Inigo is an indigenous lawyer from Aotearoa New Zealand and currently works at Herbert Smith Freehills in Perth, Australia. His practice centers on the resolution of complex disputes in all key fora, with a particular focus on arbitration (both domestic and international). He is dual-qualified in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, and is associated with leading arbitral institutions in both jurisdictions.
Inigo has a wide range of experience working in different sectors, with significant experience in resolving disputes in construction, infrastructure, oil and gas, and energy. He also has a particular interest in legal
issues regarding indigenous rights and climate change, and has authored several articles on arbitration- related issues, including the application of Māori indigenous law in arbitral proceedings.
Grant Amount
$2,000
Scholar
Hardik Jain
Geneva, Switzerland
ABOUT
Hardik is an India qualified lawyer, who has been admitted for a master’s course at the Geneva LL.M. in
International Dispute Settlement (“MIDS”). He completed his B.A.LL.B. (Hons.) in 2019 from the National Law Institute University, Bhopal, one of the leading law schools in India. He then worked with AZB & Partners and DSK Legal, two premier law firms in India as an associate in the dispute resolution teams. In these roles, he has handled several high-stake commercial arbitrations on shareholders and construction disputes. He has also represented clients in associated litigations before courts seeking appointment of arbitral tribunals, obtaining urgent interim reliefs, and challenging arbitral awards. He also has experience of representing clients in civil disputes, insolvency proceedings, and constitutional and testamentary matters.
Hardik co-founded and served as the content editor of the Indian Arbitration Law Review, a highly reputed and specialized periodical devoted to arbitration law. During his time as an undergraduate student, he represented his university at the 26th Vis moot competition in 2019 and was the part of the team which won the pre-moot held at Budapest. Hardik’s research paper on the 2015 amendments to
the Indian Arbitration Act and their retrospective applicability to certain pending court proceedings, was published in the Journal on Alternative Dispute Resolution.
By pursuing a master’s at the MIDS, he intends to build on his educational and professional experience in arbitration and gain the necessary skills to become an international arbitration practitioner. Upon graduation, Hardik plans to join the dispute resolution team in an international law firm and use the knowledge and skills he has gained to provide the best solutions for his clients both inside and outside the courtroom.
Grant Amount
$2,000
PROGRAM
Geneva LLM in International Dispute Resolution
Scholar
Eva Litina
Athens, Greece
School
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Virtual Diploma in International Maritime Arbitration
Dr. Eva Litina is a Legal Expert at the Hellenic Consumers’ Ombudsman, and an attorney-at law admitted to the Athens and New York bars. She completed her PhD thesis in International Maritime Arbitration at the Department of Shipping, Trade and Transport of the University of the Aegean whereshe is also teaching commercial law.
She studied law at the University of Athens and received her Master of Laws from New York University School of Law. For her research, Eva has been granted university-funded scholarships from the University of the Aegean. She has also been awarded the Comité Maritime International (yCMI) Essay Prize 2020, the International Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section Scholarship 2017, and scholarships from the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for International, European and Regulatory Procedural Law in 2017 and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg in 2018.
Her monograph entitled ‘Theory, Law and Practice of Maritime Arbitration: The Case of International Contracts for the Carriage of Goods by Sea’ was published with Kluwer Law International. Eva is also an LMAA Supporting Member and Vice Chair of the Community Building, Networking & Scholarship Committee of Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers (REAL).
Given her academic expertise in maritime arbitration and strong interest in a career as a maritime arbitrator, the CIArb Diploma in International Maritime Arbitration provides an opportunity for her to achieve Fellowship of CIArb. She aims to deepen her knowledge on legal principles, process, practice and procedure in international maritime arbitration, the processes followed by an arbitrator in defining the issues that have to be decided by an award, dealing with the submissions made by the parties, analyzing the applicable law, evaluating the evidence and award writing.
Grant Amount
$2,000