Hailing from Jamaica, Kalisia Miller was a self-described shy student in high school. It was hard for her to imagine speaking in front of classmates without stumbling over her words. Years later, however, she has not only overcome her shyness but has found success on the world stage, culminating most recently in a prestigious full tuition scholarship to study international arbitration at the University of Miami School of Law.
Miller's journey to legal excellence included success in moot court competitions during law school and a role as a senior judicial clerk in the Court of Appeal in Jamaica, where she attended court hearings and drafted complex written and oral arguments.
It was, in fact, while in court that Miller received the life-changing news: she had won the Young ICCA scholarship. It was hard to keep her composure, knowing she had just secured the LL.M. at the School of Law, a school she had long aspired to attend.
A passion for international arbitration
“The attention to detail which went into the international arbitration program at UM captivated me,” Miller said. “From the unique array of classes and top arbitration experts who are selected as the professors, I knew that this would be the right fit for me.”
Miller first earned her Bachelor of Laws from the University of the West Indies. She then attended Norman Manley Law School in Kingston, Jamaica, where she received a Legal Education certificate. While there, Miller was the team leader for the school's entry in the Phillip C. Jessup Moot Court Competition in New York, where her team placed second in the world’s largest international law moot court competition.
This experience, combined with her time as an arbitration research assistant—where she conducted research on the development of arbitration in Jamaica—made her highly prepared to practice civil litigation at a full-service law firm after graduating in 2017.
A global legal network
The Young ICCA Scholarship is the result of a partnership between Miami Law and the Young International Council for International Arbitration (Young ICCA). Young ICCA is a worldwide arbitration knowledge network for young practitioners and students, dedicated to promoting international arbitration practice by exposing new practitioners from all corners of the globe to the field.
Previous scholarship winners have come from across the globe, including Bangladesh, Canada, Georgia, India, Italy, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Paraguay, Vietnam, and Venezuela. These recipients have gone on to secure trainee and permanent positions at top international firms and institutions, such as White & Case in Washington, D.C.; Three Crowns in Washington, D.C.; Hanotiau & van den Berg in Brussels, Belgium; Reed Smith (formerly Astigarraga Davis) in Miami, Florida; the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes in Washington, D.C.; and Bacardi Martini in Miami, Florida.
As Miller pursues her LL.M. degree, she is already working as an intern at Pierson Ferdinand, a global law firm with locations around the world, including Miami.
“I have really enjoyed my UM experience thus far, from the campus to the excellent professors and diverse classmates,” Miller said. “I could not ask for anything more.”
Miller emphasized her belief in collaborative legal growth, stating, “It is crucial that we learn from each other instead of reinventing the wheel. We all have something to contribute to the development of law and should be proud to do so. Who knows what law will look like 100 years from now if we don’t work collectively?”
Read more about the White & Case International Arbitration LL.M. Program.
