Editor-in-Chief:
Alexandra Desmedt is a dual-degree J.D./Master in French Law candidate at Columbia Law School and the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Political Science, Political Economy, and Legal Studies, and obtained an M.Sc. in European Politics & External Relations from the University of Amsterdam. Alexandra joined ARIA as a staff editor in her first year of law school and also served as a coach for the Immigration Law Moot Court. Her interests include international arbitration, international trade, human rights, and immigration law.
Head Articles Editor:
James Fast is a J.D. candidate at Columbia Law School, where he serves as Head Articles Editor for The American Review of International Arbitration. His academic interests include international law, cross-border dispute resolution, and arbitration. This fall, he is completing an externship with the Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the United Nations. He previously worked as a Summer Law Clerk at Clifford Chance LLP in New York, supporting litigation and dispute resolution matters. James previously worked in Valparaíso, Chile, and Madrid, Spain, where he translated contracts and taught English to students, respectively. He earned his B.A. in Philosophy from Columbia College.
Head Online Editor:
Articles Editors:
Kathy Liu is a 2L at Columbia Law School. She graduated from NYU with a B.S. in Business, concentrating in Finance. She joined ARIA during her 1L year and will now serve as an Articles Editor. Kathy spent her 1L summer doing human rights advocacy and litigation against enforced disappearances in Bangkok, and outside of ARIA, remains involved in the CLS community through her roles in APALSA and the Taiwanese Law and Culture Club. During her 2L year, Kathy will continue to explore different areas of law through classes on the role of law during wartime and a technology-focused in-house externship. Outside of CLS, she loves to bake and is on a mission to travel to the world’s 5 largest deserts.
Paulina Mendoza is is a 3L at Columbia Law School. She graduated from American University with a B.A. in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government, along with a minor in Legal Studies and a Spanish Translation certification. During her 2L summer, Paulina was a summer associate at Nishimura & Asahi’s Tokyo office and Tilleke & Gibbins’ Bangkok office, where she focused on dispute resolution and international arbitration across Asia. Her interests include international arbitration, cross-border transactions, and corporate compliance.
June Park is a 2L at Columbia Law School. She graduated from Seoul National University with a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations, and earned an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Chicago. Before law school, she served as a diplomat for the Republic of Korea, working in Seoul and Paris on issues including U.S.–Korea relations, global anti-corruption, and environmental policy. At CLS, she serves as Speakers Series Chair of the Columbia Society of International Law and continues to pursue her passion for international law, arbitration, and litigation through coursework, her 1L internship at the District Court of New Jersey, and ARIA activities. She is also exploring and developing interests in other areas of law, including cross-border transactions and intellectual property. Outside of law school, she enjoys reading novels, taking long walks and picnics in the park, and discovering good cafés around NYC.
Alan Zhao is a 3L at Columbia Law School. He graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science with a Bachelor of Laws, where he was a Senior Articles Editor of the LSE Law Review. In addition to New York, he has studied, lived, and worked in four cities across Asia and Europe. Prior to law school, he served his country Singapore as an officer in the Singapore Police Force. His interests are broad albeit individually uncorrelated, ranging from EU law and arbitration, learning Japanese, gaming, to securitization and fund finance matters.
Development Editor:
Andreamarie Efthymiou is a J.D. candidate at Columbia Law School (expected May 2027), where she serves as President of the Columbia International Arbitration Association and Firm Networking Committee Chair for the Columbia Society of International Law. She is also a Law School Researcher for Just Atonement Inc. and served as a 1L Advocate for the Human Rights Institute. A New York native, she is happy to be back home after completing her undergraduate studies at UNC Chapel Hill with dual degrees in Philosophy and Comparative Literature. During her 2L year, Andreamarie is exploring international law through coursework, a UN Externship, and independent research. She has particular interests in EU trade law, international arbitration, and energy development in the Eastern Mediterranean, bringing experience from her work at Foley Hoag LLP and the Permanent Mission of Cyprus to the United Nations. Outside of the law, Andreamarie enjoys finding new forms of exercise and exploring the NYC music and food scenes.