Diversity Award

In 2007, the National Task Force on Diversity in ADR created an Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR to recognize a person or organization who has contributed significantly to diversity in the alternative dispute resolution field. Submissions are reviewed by a panel consisting of past winners, along with CPR’s Co-Chairs of the National Task Force on Diversity and CPR’s President. 

The awards ceremony is held in conjunction with CPR’s Annual Meeting.

CPR reserves the right to submit outstanding candidates that have not been nominated.

2023 Diversity Award Winners

Dr. Emilia Onyema, Professor at SOAS University of London and independent arbitrator, is the recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR award.

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Previous Diversity Award Winners

2022

Professor Benjamin Davis of University of Toledo Law School and Amanda Lee, founder of Careers in Arbitration and ARBalance, were the recipients of the 2022 Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR award.

2021

CPR presented the 2021 Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR award to REAL – Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers and its co-founders Dr. Crina Baltag; Dr. Kabir Duggal, Esq.; and Rekha Rangachari, Esq. at a virtual ceremony as part of the CPR 2022 Annual Meeting.

REAL is a group of global lawyers practicing in international arbitration and striving to achieve racial equality for all arbitration lawyers. The group does not identify a single racial demographic for focus, instead it focuses on all unrepresented groups. REAL uses a two-pronged approach to champion underrepresented practitioners in international arbitration: advocacy and access. REAL advocates for building awareness of and spotlighting the absence of racial diversity in the field. It also works to address the lack of racial parity in arbitral appointments by community building with arbitral institutions, law firms, clients, third party funders, and others. REAL strives to address the socio-economic limitation for many entering the field of international arbitration by community building for young and mid-level practitioners, offering practical solutions and remedies to those traditionally not included in the “arbitration club” such as mentorship programs, scholarships and awards, and partnerships with networks and groups.

2020

CPR presented the 2020 Diversity Award to Gail J. Wright. A leader, advocate and mentor, Wright helped to establish CPR’s Employment Pathways program to further the inclusion of diverse neutrals on the CPR Panel of Distinguished Neutrals. She served as Chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Civil Rights Committee, Executive Committee, Labor and Employment Section as well as associate counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. She is also the Diversity Co-Chair of the International Academy of Mediators, an international membership organization comprised of commercial mediators. Diversity Task Force Co-Chair Shira Scheindlin presented Wright with the award.

2019

CPR presented the 2019 Diversity Award to international arbitrator Hon. Timothy Lewis (ret.), Of Counsel at Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis and Co-Chair of CPR’s Diversity Task Force, at CPR’s Annual Meeting, that took place Feb 28 – March 2, 2019, in Washington, D.C., during a luncheon ceremony on March 1.

2018

CPR presented 2018 Diversity Awards to international arbitrator Lucy Greenwood, and Special Counsel, Secretariat of the International Court of Arbitration, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Paris, France, Mirèze Philippe, at a ceremony held at CPR’s Annual Meeting, on March 8-10, 2018, in Atlanta.

2014

CPR presented the 2013 Diversity Award to Barry Leon. The presentation was made on February 20, 2014 at a ceremony held at the Charleston Place, Charleston, South Carolina at CPR’s Annual Meeting.

2011

CPR presented 2011 Diversity Award to PD Villarreal. The Award was presented on January 11, 2012 in New York City.

2010

CPR presented 2010 Diversity Award to Louise Barrington. The Award was presented on January 11, 2011 in New York City.

2009

CPR presented 2009 Diversity Award to Laurel Pyke Malson. The Award was presented on January 14, 2010 in New York City.

2008

CPR presented 2008 Diversity Award to Marvin Johnson. The Award was presented on January 15, 2009 in New York City.