Shinji Ryu grew up in Dexter Hill, Pennsylvania. He studied economics at Harvard University and earned a law degree from Columbia Law School. Currently Shinji is an associate at the Covington & Burling law firm. As a mediator, he has mediated dozens of disputes in the New York City community courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the federal District Court in the Southern District of New York. Shinji’s experience as a mediator has taught him that negotiation and communication skills are essential to getting more of what one needs from a difficult situation. He is motivated to be a part of Negotiation Works due to its mission to educate members of the District community, and he wants to contribute to helping everyone in the community thrive. His goals are to listen to and connect with the people with whom he shares the District community and to help individuals empower themselves with skills to tackle everyday problems. Shinji’s hope is that program participants leave the classes with confidence that they can negotiate and get what they need from a difficult situation. Shinji teaches Negotiation Works classes with the Georgetown Pivot Program.