Arundathi Venkataraman, a lawyer from Bangalore, India, was named the 2018-2019 Young ICCA Full-Tuition Scholarship winner.
“Learning that Miami Law and Young ICCA had considered my application worthy enough to invest in me was humbling and surreal,” she said.
Venkataraman received her Law degree from the National Law University of Jodhpur in 2016, where she served as editor-in-chief of the India Journal of Arbitration Law. She competed in several moot court competitions during her time at law school, including the 57th Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition, and the 12th Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot where she was a finalist.
After graduating with honors in Business Law, Venkataraman worked as an Associate in the Dispute Resolution practice group at Khaitan & Co in Mumbai, a first-tier international arbitration practice and one of India's oldest law firms, where she represented and advised multinational corporations, Indian companies, and high-net-worth individuals in a variety of disputes before arbitral tribunals and Indian courts.
The Young ICCA scholarship winner is chosen on the basis of an essay competition. Venkataraman wrote on “The Consolidation Conundrum: The Next Leap for Arbitration in India?" In her essay, she discussed “where the Indian law and jurisprudence on consolidation of arbitrations was at the time. I also recommended principles, borrowed and adapted from other jurisdictions, to bring the Indian arbitration market up to speed with the prevailing arbitration hubs of the world.”
Miami Law partnered with the Young International Council for International Arbitration to launch this scholarship as Young ICCA is a worldwide arbitration knowledge network for young practitioners and students, which aims to promote the use of arbitration by exposing new practitioners from all corners of the globe to the international practice of arbitration.
Miami Law's International Arbitration LL.M. Program has been extremely interesting and diverse so far. Each arbitration course is very focused, detailed, contemporaneously relevant, and structured for the individual subject that it deals with,” said Venkataraman.
“The opportunity to do a practicum externship during the semester is very helpful; it keeps you grounded in the practice of international arbitration, and gives insight into the working of various institutions."
Students are drawn to Miami Law’s White & Case LL.M. in International Arbitration not only because it is taught by internationally-recognized top arbitration practitioners and offers externships at the most prestigious law firms and arbitral institutions, but graduates of the program also land employment opportunities at the highest tiers of the field, says Sandra Friedrich, director of the program.
“The sheer number of opportunities associated with the Program make it a well-rounded experience in the law. To work as a Research Assistant with the International Arbitration Institute helps me keep in touch with the academic side of the field,” says Venkataraman. “And being a member of Miami Law’s team for this year’s Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot and the rigorous work in the International Moot Court Program ensures that my advocacy skills are constantly sharpened.”
The White & Case International Arbitration LL.M. Program, under the leadership of Jan Paulsson, provides a unique individualized educational opportunity for a small group of top quality students from a range of countries, wishing to acquire an in-depth grounding in the field of international arbitration as a platform for a successful career.
The program - the only one of its kind in the United States - is open to U.S. and foreign-trained law graduates, and is ideal for newcomers to the field or experienced practitioners looking to enrich their skills and knowledge.
Once Venkataraman finishes her LL.M. degree at Miami Law, she intends to sit for the New York Bar Exam in July next year. “I hope to find an opportunity to apply myself and my skills from this course at an international law firm or organization focused on international arbitration and dispute resolution.”
