On November 7, 2025, the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution’s annual Melnick Symposium brought together leading scholars, practitioners, and advocates to explore the next century of arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). Attendees engaged in rich discussions on fairness, inclusion, and innovation in dispute resolution, leaving participants with new insights and actionable ideas to shape the future of the field.
The program featured a series of panels that began with a keynote presentation featuring Professor Myriam Gilles (Northwestern Pritzker School of Law) interviewing Julie Roginsky the Co‑Founder of Lift Our Voices. Professor Gilles and Ms. Roginsky discussed how forced arbitration has historically silenced vulnerable parties and explored the reform movements reshaping the landscape of dispute resolution.
The first panel, Responding to Power Imbalances in Arbitration, was moderated by Professor Jean R. Sternlight (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) and included panel members Professor Michael Z. Green (Texas A&M University School of Law) and Professor Myriam Gilles. This session highlighted structural challenges in arbitration, focusing on how imbalances in resources and influence can undermine fairness. Panelists explored reforms to enhance equitable outcomes and ensure more balanced dispute resolution processes.
The second panel, Ensuring Neutrals Reflect Claimants’ Diversity, was moderated by Professor Andrea Schneider (Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law) and featured Professor Imre Szalai (Pace University, Elisabeth Haub School of Law), Professor Homer C. La Rue (Howard University School of Law) and 3L Amu Fosu (Howard University School of Law) The panelists discussed barriers to inclusion as well as strategies to ensure that mediators and arbitrators reflect the claimants they serve. This session reinforced the mission of initiatives like the Ray Corollary Initiative, which seeks to harness the full spectrum of talent in arbitration and mediation.
The symposium closed with a discussion of the many ways that technology is shaping the field of arbitration. Panelists included Sasha Carbone (American Arbitration Association), Professor Amy J. Schmitz (The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law), Professor Jill I. Gross (Pace University, Elisabeth Haub School of Law), and Thomas W. Walsh, Esq. (Freshfields) and moderated by Professor Robyn Weinstein. The group touched on topics such as emerging AI tools, transparency, ethical implications, and a discussion of how law students can prepare to enter a rapidly evolving field.