Matthew Gale from Auckland has been awarded the inaugural FairWay Resolution Anne Scragg Scholarship for 2015.

Currently a Master of Laws candidate at the University of Pennsylvania Law School in the United States, Matthew's entry for the award was entitled "Mediation and the Civil Justice Gap". It explored the interplay between courts, alternative dispute resolution and the challenges associated with a surging tide of people looking for justice.

The scholarship package includes a cash contribution of up to $10,000 towards further study or research into dispute resolution. Finalists were required to submit a 1500-word essay on a dispute resolution topic. Entries were judged by FairWay Director Anita Chan QC, Greg Pollock and Anne Scragg, who recently retired from FairWay after 30 years active involvement and leadership in dispute resolution.

Before he went to the United States, Matthew was a senior solicitor at Auckland law firm Wilson Harle, and formerly a Judges' Clerk at the Auckland High Court.