William Struemke Wins Straus Mediation Competition

The Straus Institute recently hosted its Second Annual Mediation Competition, bringing together twenty skilled student competitors, dozens of alumni role-players and timekeepers, as well as prominent judges and practitioners to evaluate the mediations and offer feedback to the participants.

At the end of three rounds of competition, William (Billy) Struemke, who is completing his LLM in International Commercial Arbitration, was selected as the winner by a distinguished panel of judges. This year’s theme focused on diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and each of the three rounds presented competitors with mediating a complex dispute in the area.

Billy is an accomplished attorney with a background in criminal prosecution. The son of an Army Cobra helicopter pilot, he served as a major in the U.S. Army, and he is currently a lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard, working with federal, state and local officials to respond to natural disasters, as well as educating members on equal opportunity issues. 

On why he chose Pepperdine Caruso Law and the Straus Institute, Billy stated, “I found Pepperdine and fell in love with its moral center. It also ranked very high in the dispute resolution world and had an international component. With my overseas experience, I knew that I could contribute to Pepperdine's culture while finding kindred spirits.” 

Billy graduates this spring with his LLM and is looking forward to building upon his mediation and arbitration education. He shares, “St Augustine said, ‘Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.’ I have prayed. It is time that I get to work on the next chapter of my life.”