3 Ways That Karen Desoto Provides Inspiration for the Youth

After successfully completing her education in law, earning a Juris Doctorate at the Beasley School of Law at Temple University, her career has never slowed down. 

Here are a few things that make her one of the most inspiring people that we have today!

She Knows What She Wants To Achieve

She then served as a public defender, prosecutor and then moved into private practice, eventually founding also the Center for Justice. She went on to become the younger lawyer (first woman and first Hispanic) to be appointed Chief Corporate Counsel for the city ofJersey City, New Jersey, where she oversaw a large legal department, working with all the city agencies 

She Cares For the Society

Though busy with her career, she never forgot where she came from. A lifelong resident of New Jersey, Karen always found time to give back. She gave of her time serving on the Boards of nonprofit and community organizations, and mentored young people. This earned her “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Bayonne Youth Center, and many other honors for her good work in the community.

She Aspires To Bring About Change

It was this aspiration that led Karen and David Weiss to co-found the Institute for Dispute Resolution, which has in its short existence already contributed to a new law in New Jersey, and sponsored students to compete in international mediation competitions.  

The Institute for Dispute Resolution – Creating a league of its own

Karen DeSoto in the last few years has focused her attention to the field of international mediation. She currently serves as a professor at New Jersey City University where she and David S. Weiss founded and co-direct the Institute for Dispute Resolution, while she continues to appear on television as a legal analyst at NBC News.

Previously she served as a practicing attorney; founded the Center for Legal Justice, and became the first women, first Hispanic, and youngest lawyer to ever be appointed Chief Counsel for the city of Jersey City, New jersey. For years she was active in workplace equality at a time when The Hudson Reporter named her to their list of Top 50 Most Influential people, calling her “a force to be reckoned with.”

These days Karen is mostly focused on the IDR, promoting international mediation in New jersey -- through the Applied Research Department of the IDR. In 2017 the New Jersey International Arbitration, Mediation, and Conciliation Act was signed into law, an initiative introduced by the IDR.

This year at the 12^th Annual International Commercial Mediation Competition in Paris, France, three students from the IDR, Justin Davis, Kaylee Saltos, and Leman Kaifa represented NJCU. They were the only business school students to be selected from the U.S.A., as all others were teams pulled from law schools.  

In the week-long mock mediation sessions, where students were given practical learning experience, the team from NJCU represented excellent skills and knowledge about the mediation field. The students were coached by Christian Corrales and Karen DeSoto, getting excellent insights about the legal world in general and the mediation and arbitration world in particular.

Last year Leman Kaifa was part of the team at the Consensual Dispute Resolution Competition (CDRC) in Vienna, Austria, and winning an Award for Best Opening Statements.

Karen DeSoto was quoted as saying, “We’re so immensely proud of our students. They competed at the highest levels. The entire experience I think has been great for all of us. The Institute has raised the profile of New Jersey City University, provided students to expand their knowledge and worldviews as they travel internationally — meeting and competing with other students from all over the world.”

The students of IDR (Institute for Dispute Resolution) have competed several times in Paris and Vienna to date. 

Students From The IDR Prove Their Mettle, Again!

The 12th ICC International Commercial Mediation Competition in Paris, France, was a brilliant portrayal of skills that college level students possess in the field of mediation and negotiation. It is a matter of pride to note that this globally-renowned event -- which selects group university teams from across the globe to participate in a week-long series mock mediation sessions -- selected just 66 schools from world over, and NJCU made the list.

Justin Davis, Leman Kaifa, and Kaylee Saltos, from NJCU, participated in the event.
  

Getting invited to such a prestigious event and proving your mettle in front of the whole world requires expertise and skills that are honed only by the right coaches. This excellent team was coached by Christian Corrales and Karen DeSoto. Corrales, who is an NJCU graduate and program alumnus of NJCU’s IDR, coached both the ICC and CDRC competitions in 2016. DeSoto, on the other hand, is the co-director of the IDR, the founder of the Center of Legal Justice and serves as an on-air legal analyst for highly acclaimed news channels today. Her experience and knowledge in the field helped in guiding the students outstandingly.

Being coached by the experts, these students were afforded the opportunity to put their classroom knowledge into practice, interacting with students, professors and legal professionals from around the world.

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. 

3 Ways That Karen Desoto Keeps Giving Back

 

Karen DeSoto is a career attorney who has also been an on-air legal analyst for 15 years, has been a guest speaker, and an equal right activist. The Hudson Reporter had previously named her one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in Hudson County because of her efforts and the coalitions she built. And now -- as she continues to appear on air as a legal analyst for NBC News, her attention has been focused on her role as co-director of the Institute for Dispute resolution at New Jersey City University.

1. She Is Making A Difference

Karen DeSoto along with David Weiss co founded the Institute for Dispute Resolution at the New Jersey City University school for business. And through the IDR applied research department they contributed to what became the New Jersey International Arbitration, Mediation, and Conciliation Act (legislation signed Feb 7, 2017). 

2. She Has Long Been A Mentor

Whether it was being the youngest attorney, first woman and first Hispanic to ever serve as Corporate Counsel for the city of Jersey City, serving as a Board Member of various organizations, being a guest speaker at local colleges, or coaching students for international competitions in mediation through IDR, she exudes confidence and a  strong work ethic for young women to admire.

3. She Is An Educator

For over a decade Karen DeSoto has appeared on air as a legal analyst to provide legal insights -- to television audiences regarding high profile cases in the news.

3 Tips For Choosing A Workplace Discrimination Attorney

Choosing a workplace discrimination lawyer who can help you solve that ugly work-related dispute can be a tough task. So, how do you do that? Here are a few tips to find the right person who can help you get through the turbulent phase without much difficulty.

Tip# 1: Do Your Research

Karen Desoto

To begin right, take a look at the credentials of your preferred attorney. Search the web and find information about their education, their activities and involvement in the legal industry – as well as their knowledge on the type of situation you are facing. You wouldn’t choose a lawyer whose career has been real estate contract litigation, regardless of how successful they may be in that industry. Look for those that have experience and credentials in workplace discrimination cases. 

For example, New jersey based Karen DeSoto reveals a lot about her background working in the practice areas of workplace discrimination, and she was listed as one of the top 50 most influential people in Hudson county. She has a Juris Doctorate and Master in Law and Trial Advocacy. These are the type of credentials you want to look for. Review them online, check their websites for news about their activities. This will not only help you get a sense of their work, but will also help you figure out if they can be the one to help your case.

Tip# 2: Check Their Experience

Once you have found a bit of information about them, the next step is to check their experience in the cases related to your scenario. How long have they been working in that area of practice, and what is their win rate in court? Find out if they have ever represented people who have been in circumstances that are similar to yours. Like any other service provider, you have to assess how good they are, whether they are a good fit for what you need, and then talk about service rates. Do they work on retainer, on contingency – meaning they only get paid if you win your case, as Bangel Cohen and Falconetti do -- , or, do they do pro bono work, meaning they represent you for free. If they don’t really have the experience and knowledge in workplace discrimination cases, then don’t settle, keep looking for the right attorney. 

Tip# 3: Have A Meeting

Once you find someone who meets your criteria schedule an appointment so you can meet them face to face. Personality compatibility matters. You need to feel comfortable enough to trust their advice and have confidence in their strategy.