Panel on Careers in Alternative Dispute Resolution
Blog post by Frederique Kwantes & Delilah van Tol[1]
On the 16th of May, the Lectoraat Mulitlevel Regulation organized an event in which professionals were invited to discuss career opportunities in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and give advice to students on how to pursue such a career. This blogpost contains the most valuable advices that been given during this panel.
The panel was moderated by Dr. Barbara Warwas, lector of the Lectoraat Multilevel Regulation, and consisted of three guest who all had a connection with ADR provided us with information regarding working in ADR, difficulties and personal experiences. The first guest was Ms. Margreet Malda, a mediator who owns her own mediation company named FUSE Mediation. The second guest that was introduced, was Dr. Lukasz Gorywoda. He is a counsel at VVGB Advocaten and came to discuss a career in arbitration and share his experience as an arbitrator. The last guest was Ms. Bianca Oprea, a former trainee at the International Chamber of Commerce and a currently, International and European law student at The Hague University and member and project leader of the Lectoraat Multilevel Regulation, who came to tell more about her experience.
Ms. Margreet Malda mostly touched upon the fact that it is not easy to start a career as a mediator. According to her, to be a successful mediator, it is of importance that you network and get into contact with other mediators. She also stated that you should inform yourself about the person who is in charge of the selection when soliciting for a job or internship. Furthermore, you must not be afraid of rejection!
Dr. Lukasz Gorywoda agreed with Ms. Margreet Malda that ADR is a competitive field. Dr. Gorywoda advises students to focus on getting good grades and participate in extracurricular activities. Furthermore, he elaborates the importance of participating in moot courts and other activities that provide you with a broader network and makes you more visible in the world of ADR. Another useful tip was that you should never underestimate a good recommendation. He said that it is better to get one recommendation of someone who truly thinks you are the right person, than ten recommendations that do not come across as sincere.
Ms. Bianca Oprea was also present at the panel to provide information to the students regarding internships from a student’s perspective. Her interest in ADR was sparked in her third year when she participated in the The Annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. Due to this experience she realized how fast-growing ADR actually is. Because of this she decided to have her internship experience in that field. Her internship was in the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Centre for ADR which deals with non-arbitration matters such as mediation, expert appointment, and dispute boards. She specifically worked on promoting mediation as that is a goal which the ICC is trying to achieve. During her internship in ICC in Paris, she experienced a good and well-organized atmosphere and gained even more insight on ADR. She gained experience and enjoyed her time as trainee.
In conclusion, the panel gave the attendees tips, insights, and other information regarding a career in ADR. The main points they made were that networking, hard work, extracurricular activities, and commitment are all important to start a career and be successful in ADR.
[1] Frederique Kwantes & Delilah van Tol are both students in the “International and European Law’ Programme and active members of the Lectoraat Multilevel Regulation. Delilah is also the Project Leader for the Blog Posts Project.