Mitra Esmaeili

I grew up in a family where my father was a businessman with a special personality. Whenever people in our family, neighborhood, or his workplace had a conflict, they would knock on our door or call my father to come solve the problem. I saw my father mediating all the time, and that inspired me to go into this field. My father wanted one of his children to become a lawyer or a judge, and I decided to go to law school. I became my father's favorite one. I went to law school first, then got my master's degree while doing some jobs and getting licensed in the bar. I worked for 10 years in mediation and lawyering back in my country. Ten years ago, I moved to the U.S. and found out I needed to get another master's to be able to sit for the bar exam. I didn't stop working on my education and went to Pepperdine, where I got my master's degree in ADR in 2023. Throughout my career, I have worked as an insurance company's lawyer, for a municipality, and in other positions. I am currently planning to teach mediation and conflict resolution, including offering a free community conflict resolution class. I love art, paint, sing professionally since childhood, play music, swim, and cook internationally. I am an energetic and extroverted person who connects easily with people, and I attribute my success to loving whatever I do and being honest all the time.