REAL - Racial Equality
for Arbitration Lawyers
What is REAL ?
Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers (REAL).
REAL is a group of global lawyers practicing in international arbitration and striving to achieve racial equality for arbitration lawyers.
We posit to you: If not here, then where?
This is one of the most dynamic, international and diverse fields to work in law – where our love of international law and cross-border disputes naturally mix an array of identities, cultures, and languages, in addition to many other factors.
Race and REAL stand at the center of this roundabout, where each member is an anchor. Together we will achieve dialogue, action, and change.
MEMBERSHIP
We are open to everyone! Please consider joining us!
We are an organization looking at the representation of underrepresented groups in international arbitration. If you fall into one such category, feel free to join us 
.
The good news? Since we are a body advocating for “access” we do not charge a membership fee. All we request is that you become an active member and help facilitate the cause for greater representation in international arbitration.
We are especially focused on issues of intersectionality (i.e., possessing more than one attribute of diversity).
So, have you signed up for REAL? If not, please sign up. Remember, everyone is WELCOME!!!
We also welcome all allies. If you fall into this category, you are most welcome .
REAL INITIATIVES
- #letsgetreal (who we are, what we do)
- #therealdeal (member profiles)
- #realtalk (interviews, honest dialogue) / #real-ly?
- #realchoice (diversity materials, state of play, shifting norms) / #real-ity
- #realopportunity (mentorship, scholarships)
- #realsuccess (member success stories)
- #realinclusion (intersectionality, diversity defined broadly)
STEERING COMMITTEE
Mohamed S. Abdel Wahab
Partner, Zulficar & Partners (Egypt)
San Funke Adekoya
Partner, ÁELEX (Nigeria)
Cecilia Azar Manzur
Partner, Galicia Abogados (Mexico)
Crina Baltag
Senior Lecturer, Stockholm University (Sweden)
Chiann Bao
Independent Arbitrator, Arbitration Chambers (Hong Kong)
Louise Barrington
Independent Arbitrator, Arbitration Place (Canada)
Christopher Campbell
Visiting Counsel, Baker Hughes (United States)
Eleonora Coelho
Secretary General, CAM-CCBC (Brazil)
Earl Rivera-Dolera
Independent Arbitrator, The Arbitration Chambers (Singapore)
Kabir Duggal
Senior International Arbitration Advisor, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP (United States)
Mélida Hodgson
Partner, Jenner & Block LLP (United States)
Mansi Karol
Director, AAA-ICDR (United States)
Sara Koleilat-Aranjo
Senior Associate, Al Tamimi & Co (United Arab Emirates)
Jaroslav Kudrna
Legal Advisor, Ministry of Finance, Czech Republic (Czech Republic)
Dana C. MacGrath
Investment Manager and Legal Counsel, Omni Bridgeway Limited (United States)
Tafadzwa Pasipanodya
Partner, Foley Hoag (United States)
Mirèze Philippe
Special Counsel, International Chamber of Commerce Court of Arbitration (ICC) (France)
Rekha Rangachari
Executive Director, NYIAC (United States)
Rana Sajjad Ahmed
President, CIICA (Pakistan)
Nancy Thevenin
General Counsel, USCIB (United States)
Fernando A. Tupa
Partner, Curtis Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP (Argentina)
Salim Sleiman
Senior Case Manager, BCDR-AAA (Bahrain)
STAFF
Garima Tyagi
Secretary
Mohit Mahla
Secretary
STRATEGIC GOALS
• SG1: To focus on racial equality and representation of other unrepresented groups within any country that deals with international arbitration.
• SG3: To consider the special problem posed by intersectionality when it comes to diversity and inclusion.
• SG5: To collaborate with and support other initiatives that deal with diversity and inclusion towards making international arbitration equitable for all participants.
SG2: To focus on racial equality and representation of other unrepresented groups in international arbitration at an international level more generally.
• SG4: To create a platform to recognize and address issues of systemic discrimination and implicit bias in international arbitration.
Welcome
• SG6: To create a safe space for under-represented groups in international arbitration to discuss problems and challenges they face.
CORE GOALS
Access to this “arbitration club,” where we each represent different racial platforms across different jurisdictions, to open the door to more practitioners. One avenue is to address the socio-economic limitation for many entering our field with a focus on community building for young and mid-level practitioners.
To this end and unless deemed necessary, we will not charge a membership fee to join REAL.
We have a series of initiatives to enable “access” to international arbitration:
We are in the process of creating a scholarship for our members to attend arbitration events and training courses. {to be developed here}
Fellowships
- AAA-ICDR’s Higginbotham Fellows Program: https://www.adr.org/HigginbothamFellowsProgram
- AAA-ICDR Student ADR Summit (school site, must find original site): http://sites.law.wustl.edu/WashULaw/CCD_Blog/american-arbitration-association-diversity-student-adr-summit-program/
- Columbia Law-CIArb Comprehensive Course on International Arbitration: https://ciarbny.org/shop/columbia-law-school-chartered-institute-of-arbitrators-course-on-international-arbitration/
- CIArb Accelerated Route to Fellowship: https://www.ciarbnab.com/accelerated-route-to-fellow/
Awards
- African Arbitration Association (AfAA) Annual International Arbitration Conference & Awards Ceremony: https://afaa.ngo/page-18178
- Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) Rising Stars: https://www.mcca.com/awards/rising-stars/
- National Diversity Awards: http://www.diversityawards.org/founders-welcome/
To create a level-playing field, we want to share knowledge on international arbitration. {we can have the opportunities below built out to separate pages}
To go ahead in life it is necessary to have mentors. We therefore are in the process of developing a mentorship program. {to be developed here}
We want to share events that deal with diversity and where our members participate {we can build all the links on a separate page that we add here}
{list events here}
If you have a show case an event relating to diversity or where our members are speaker, please contact us.
Representation and inclusion in all forms are important. Together we are stronger.
We want to share all other local, regional, and global efforts dealing with international arbitration. {we can build all the links on a separate page that we add here}
{to add links to other initiatives with their URL. Below are some more to add:
- ADR Inclusion Network
- ArbitralWomen (AW)
- Committee for Racial Inclusion in International Arbitration (CRIA)
- NY Group
- ABA Women in Dispute Resolution (WIDR)
- Equal Representation Pledge in International Arbitration
- Blacks in American Society of International Law BASIL}
If you have a diversity initiative that you would like us to share, please contact us.
Advocacy to build awareness and spotlight the absence of racial diversity in our field. A second avenue is to address the lack of racial parity in arbitral appointments with a focus on community building with stakeholders — arbitral institutions, law firms, clients, third party funders, expert shops, and onwards.
Where we conceive of a relevant nexus, we build cooperation, and create change therewith.
#REALPARTNERS {institutional partners} {law firm partners}
Creating an inclusive environment requires participation from everyone involved. Institutions have generally been on the forefront of supporting diversity initiatives. REAL is proud of collaborate with the following institutions and law firms to deal with representation of underrepresented groups in international arbitration:
{to add institutions and their logos}
{to add law firms and their logos}
#REALPROGRAMS {TBD}
CONTACT US
We are open to everyone! Please contact us!
SIGN UP
We are open to everyone! Please sign up!