We are excited to introduce two student writers who will be contributing recurring columns to our blog this fall.
Kelly Murphy ’24 and Valerie Gutmann ’23 bring a diverse range of experiences to their current work in dispute resolution. Both trained mediators, Kelly and Valerie will offer informed and thoughtful perspectives on not only mediation, but also a variety of other approaches to engaging conflict constructively. In a moment of heightened change in the field and across multiple systems and sectors of society, we are excited to have two original voices whose contributions can help us reflect thoughtfully and learn deeply. Read more about Kelly and Valerie below—we look forward to featuring their work!
Kelly Murphy ’24 is a JD candidate at Harvard Law School. She is interested in alternative dispute resolution and international law. Before law school, Kelly served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at the Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire in Savannah, Georgia. Hailing from Massachusetts, Kelly earned her B.A. in political science from New York University Abu Dhabi, where she also served as Student Body President. She earned her M.Phil in conflict resolution from Trinity College Dublin.
Valerie Gutmann ’23 is a JD candidate at Harvard Law School. She is the current President of the Harvard Mediation Program and Co-Submissions Editor of the Harvard Negotiation Law Review. She also serves as the Co-Chair of the Harvard Women’s Law Association Mental Health Committee. Before law school, Valerie was selected as a Marshall Scholar and earned a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Cambridge—where she researched affordable housing and homelessness—and a master’s degree in comparative social policy from the University of Oxford—where she researched unemployment benefits. Outside of her academic work, Valerie was selected as a Dahrendorf Scholar, which led her to research Oxford graduate students’ understanding of home, freedom, and European identity during the age of Brexit. Valerie earned her undergraduate degree in sociology from the University of Chicago, where she graduated with honors.
