The Humanitarian side of Karen DeSoto

When people give selflessly to their community they often do so without seeking acknowledgements for it. At the same time they are often singled out for their contributions, as Karen DeSoto has been over the years. I have interviewed her on several occasions about the Institute for Dispute Resolution (she is co-founder and co-director) and her passions were always obvious -- equal rights, fairness in the workplace, humanitarian support, and education.

As a lifelong resident of New Jersey it is not surprising that that is where her efforts were mostly targeted.

In her early career she focused on her legal career, having earned a Juris Doctorate and Masters in Law for Trial Advocacy. She served as a public defender as many law graduates do, early on. Then, she gained experience on the other side of the law -- as a prosecutor.

By 2001 she was the first women (also the first Hispanic, and the youngest person) to be appointed Chief Counsel for the city of Jersey City. 

Busy bees tend to stay busy. And she did. All the while that she was appearing on television as an on-air legal analyst for a variety of news and magazine channels [such as ABC News, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and NBC News) she was also buzzing about her neighborhood.

She was a guest speaker imparting knowledge to students at local colleges, and contributing time and energy at local organizations. The Bayonne Youth Community Center named her Humanitarian of the Year for her efforts on their behalf. She worked with the Ray of Hope Foundation, Head Start, and many others.

Despite her work with local community groups, she couldn’t ignore the law either, and she continued to be active in building coalitions in a push for equal rights, civil rights and workplace fairness. For those efforts The Hudson Reporter named Karen to their Top 50 Most Influential People list, calling her “a force to be reckoned with.”

Her work gained the attention of the NCAAP too, and they honored her alongside Senator Sandra Cunningham and four others.

At the 50^th Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Festival and Parade in 2010 she named Attorney of the Year. 

Currently Karen is immersed in her dedication to the Institute for Dispute Resolution, working with the applied research department to affect change in New Jersey policy, as well as giving her time to coach and mentor young students -- while also accompanying them on sponsored international competitions and events. 

How The Bill ‘S602’ Will Change The Face Of International Mediation In New Jersey?

There is some good news for all the international mediation enthusiasts out there! The Institute for Dispute Resolution (at New Jersey City University, school of Business) got its very first New Jersey policy success. The IDR applied research department work contributed to the passing of the Bill ‘S602’ which was signed into law by the Governor as the New Jersey International Arbitration, Mediation, and Conciliation Act, on February 7, 2017.

The co-founder and co-director of the institute, Karen DeSoto noted that this Bill had strong bipartisan support, from both Senators Sandra Cunningham and Tom Kean Jr. The Bill aims at positioning New Jersey as a hub for business meditations from all over the world. It is expected to give the much-needed boost to international trade in the state.

So far, there were no mechanisms for businesses to settle their disputes in New Jersey outside of full legal actions. With the passing of this Bill, mediation will become an important dispute resolution tool in NJ, making it one of only ten states that have passed such a legislation.

Now, with this law, designated nonprofit organizations in New Jersey will be able to better achieve international mediation, arbitration, and conciliation, and Karen DeSoto said “it feels great that the Institute for Dispute Resolution helped” in doing so.

The IDR, which is focused on negotiation and mediation, both domestically and internationally, has been encouraging the practice to businesses through collaborative actions and events, and educating students -- through study as well as practical experience by participating in international mediation competitions and events.

IDR has played a great role in this legislation, and expects to contribute to the shaping of education policy in the future.