Meet the 2024-2025 Kukin Program Student Leadership Team

Lola Costello Vilardell, LL.M. Kukin Program Fellow

Lola joins Cardozo Law School as a post graduate fellow from Barcelona, Spain. After graduating from Cardozo’s Dispute Resolution & Advocacy LL.M., she took the New York Bar Exam at the end of July.  Prior to attending Cardozo, Lola studied dispute resolution at Esade Law School.  In addition to her work with the Kukin Program, Lola serves as a volunteer in the Mediation Office of the U.S. Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Emily Hall, Clinical Fellow, Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution 

Emily is from Dallas, Texas and moved to New York City after graduating from University of Richmond. Prior to law school, she worked as a paralegal. This past summer, Emily was a Summer Associate in Ogletree Deakins' New York City office where she was able to explore her interest in labor & employment law. Emily is looking forward to being a Kukin Fellow and continuing to hone her mediation skills.  

Samantha Harberg, Editor-In-Chief, Cardozo Dispute Resolution Honor Society 

Samantha grew up in Dallas, TX. She attended the University of Georgia in Athens, GA, where she studied psychology, business, and human development.  This past summer, Samantha worked at Schwartz Sladkus Reich Greenberg Atlas (SSRGA), worked on projects and tasks from every department, including Litigation, Real Estate, Trusts & Estates, Healthcare, Corporate/Business, and Matrimonial.  Samantha is looking forward to stepping in to her leadership position within the Cardozo Dispute Resolution Honor Society and to serving as a coach. She is also looking forward to hosting the third Annual CINEMA Competition! 

Armando Gonzales, Editor-In-Chief, Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution 

Armando went to Hofstra University and completed his BBA and MS in Accounting before joining Cardozo School of Law. He also previously worked in corporate tax for several years and is a Certified Public Accountant. He spent his summer at the NYS Department of Financial Services, within the Office of General Counsel Insurance Division, working on insurance regulation. Armando is now looking forward to working with the CJCR Team to ensure a successful year.

Victoria Varela, President, Cardozo Dispute Resolution Society 

Victoria grew up in Montevideo, Uruguay, and has a passion for both corporate law and public interest work. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, she has gained valuable experience as a 1L Scholar Summer Associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, working on M&A transactions, arbitration, and bankruptcy. Victoria will return to Debevoise this upcoming summer to further expand her expertise. Currently, Victoria serves as an extern for The Legal Aid Society, focusing on consumer rights.  She is also a volunteer English teacher at New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), helping essential immigrant workers integrate into their communities.