ALUMNI PROFILE Rae Kyritsi (JD ´12)
Mediator by day, professor by night
Rae Kyritsi (JD '12) returns "home" to serve as an adjunct faculty member and coach
Rae Kyritsi (JD '12) is a certified mediator of civil, criminal, elder, and family disputes and a certified trainer. As the community director for the Center for Conflict Resolution, she facilitates community forums and has organized nonprofits and LLCs through consensus building. Kyritsi teaches Alternative Dispute Resolution and Mediation and coaches students for the Vis Moot International Commercial Arbitration Competition at Loyola University Chicago.
Why did you choose Loyola for law school?
I chose Loyola because it had the programs I was really interested in. I also liked that the school offered multiple opportunities for international learning. I toured a few different law schools, and as I was walking around Loyola, I remember thinking, “This is where I want to go.”
What did you enjoy most about your time as a Loyola law student?
The opportunities to study law in other countries. I participated in the Loyola Comparative Advocacy Program, which allows students to study in London, and I was able to compete as an International Commercial Arbitration Fellow in Vienna. These experiences of studying international law and traveling were incredible.
I toured a few different law schools, and as I was walking around Loyola, I remember thinking, “This is where I want to go.”
What did you enjoy most about your time as a Loyola law student?
The opportunities to study law in other countries. I participated in the Loyola Comparative Advocacy Program, which allows students to study in London, and I was able to compete as an International Commercial Arbitration Fellow in Vienna. These experiences of studying international law and traveling were incredible.
What do you find most rewarding about practicing law?
I like working with people directly, and I like that what I do is not the traditional practice of law. As programs director at the Center for Conflict Resolution, I have the chance to work with people facing legal and nonlegal challenges. My work as a mediator allows me to provide a chance for parties to resolve disputes on their own, and I feel like this is another way to be a strong advocate for folks experiencing conflict of all kinds.
What has been your greatest professional accomplishment?
In 2019, I gave a speech that earned my organization a grant from Impact Grants Chicago. The funding allowed us to start a new program serving juveniles detained at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and their families.
What do you find most challenging about your job?
Right now, I’d have to say, learning to do it from home! In the wake of COVID-19, my organization is still providing services, and I am still teaching, but it’s now all virtual. Since connecting with people is critical to the work I do, I’d say that making and maintaining connections through a new medium is my current challenge.
Who were your favorite professors at Loyola?
Ooh, this feels like a trick! I would have to say Professor Coupet and Professor Murdock.
What do you do for fun?
Teach! I teach a few courses at Loyola, and I teach in a yoga teacher certification training. I also like to practice yoga, kayak the Chicago River, listen to podcasts, and hang out with my wife.
What are three words to describe Loyola?
Optimistic, striving, home.
