Student Spotlight: Shourya Arora (LLM '22)

"Don't think twice about coming to Straus. It is going to be a life-changing experience, as the Pepperdine community is one of a kind."

Shourya Arora (LLM '22), an Indian attorney, is serious about arbitration. "I have an unceasing interest in arbitration, which peaked in my last year of law school. I wrote my dissertation on arbitration law in India, and the more I learned about the field, the bolder my desire became to pursue this as my career path."

He applied to the Straus Institute for its world-renowned reputation as the academic center for ADR, or alternative dispute resolution.  Shourya explains, "Apart from the unrivaled location in Malibu, the LLM program offers a diverse and challenging program that is rich with real-world experiences by expert practitioners." He hopes to become a better negotiator through his courses at Straus and has already become active in the campus community.

Shourya served as one of the principal organizers of the India table on Global Village Day. "Global Village day was an enriching experience where our whole community came together to celebrate our diverse cultures by displaying artifacts and providing food. It was an exciting and rich event as I learned a great deal about other cultures like Brazil and Finland.

He credits Mr. Ram B. Jethmalani, who served as President of India's Union Minister of Law and Justice, as his greatest professional influence. Mr. Jethmalani gave a lecture at Shourya's law school on the role of lawyers, and "those fifty minutes changed my perspective on a legal education." He hopes his Straus training will lead him to one day become a partner at a top law or arbitration firm in New York City. To future students, Shourya states, "Don't think twice about coming to Straus. It is going to be a life-changing experience, as the Pepperdine community is one of a kind. The world-class faculty, dynamic atmosphere, and unparalleled location make for a unique learning experience."