Cheryl Massena: Labor Arbitrator Training Helped Launch Her Career

It was a moment that would change everything. During a break in her very first hearing as an attorney for the New York City Department of Education, Cheryl Massena turned to the arbitrator presiding over the case and asked a simple question: "How did you get to do this?" 

That arbitrator was Marty Scheinman, founder of the Scheinman Institute. What began as a curious question along with Marty’s response set Massena on a path toward a fulfilling career as a labor arbitrator, mediator, and educator. Her journey offers a powerful testament to the transformative role of mentorship and the doors that open when aspiring professionals find the right guidance. 

The Seeds of a Calling 

Massena's interest in alternative dispute resolution began during law school at Quinnipiac University, where she enrolled in her first ADR class. At the time, it was simply an academic interest. But the seed had been planted. 

After earning her J.D., Massena launched her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney at the Kings County District Attorney's Office, where she was assigned to the Domestic Violence Bureau and worked through other trial bureaus before settling into the Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison (DTAP) program. It was here, working within a system designed to offer treatment alternatives to incarceration, that her earlier classroom lessons came alive. She was witnessing firsthand how creative approaches to justice could produce meaningful outcomes for all parties involved. 

A Career Takes Shape 

When she transitioned to the Administrative Trials Unit at the New York City Department of Education, her exposure to ADR intensified. Each hearing presented an opportunity to observe skilled neutrals at work. It was during this period that she found herself in that pivotal hearing with Marty Scheinman, and his answer to her question would prove life-changing. 

"I saw how the parties can create their own mechanism to solve issues and how well it functioned," Massena recalls. "I felt that this is certainly something I wanted to be a part of." 

In 2008, Massena took the first concrete step toward her goal by enrolling in an employment arbitration class at the Scheinman Institute. Three years later, she was selected as an American Arbitration Association Higginbotham Fellow, a well-respected program to prepare neutrals and advocates for their work in ADR. 

Massena's career continued to evolve in ways that would prove essential to her future as an arbitrator. She served at the Jewish Association for Services for the Aging (JASA), representing elderly clients in administrative appeals. She then served as a court attorney in Manhattan Family Court and Kings County Civil Court, handling matters ranging from child abuse and neglect, child support appeals to no-fault insurance, consumer debt, and commercial landlord-tenant disputes. 

The Power of Cornell ILR’s Labor Arbitrator Development Program 

With extensive experience across multiple tribunals, Massena felt "ready to launch my career as an arbitrator." At the suggestion of a colleague, she applied to the Scheinman Institute's Labor Arbitrator Development Program (LADP), a rigorous 15-month training and mentoring experience designed to prepare emerging arbitrators for successful careers as neutrals. 

The program, Massena says, was "instrumental in launching my arbitration career." 

Beyond teaching the substantive law of arbitration, the LADP provided something equally valuable: practical guidance on building and maintaining a professional practice. Massena learned the nuts and bolts that law school never taught, including records retention, implementing appropriate technology, and protecting confidential information. 

Perhaps most importantly, the program allowed her to observe how different arbitrators approach the same issues. "It helped me find my voice as an arbitrator," she explains. 

Mentorship That Lasts a Lifetime 

The LADP created access to decision-makers in the field that Massena could never have achieved on her own. Through workshops and panels, including a notable session with Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), she gained direct insight into what qualities and skills clients seek in arbitrators. 

"Those workshops made the decision-makers accessible," Massena recalls, "which allowed me to create relationships with them." 

She developed strong connections with her LADP cohort and a wide array of mentors. These relationships did not end with graduation. The program opened doors to ongoing opportunities to shadow hearings and seek guidance from experienced professionals long after the formal curriculum concluded. 

"Your relationship with the program doesn't end the day the class ends," Massena emphasizes. It is this enduring network of support that distinguishes the LADP and makes it such a powerful launching pad for aspiring arbitrators. 

Paying It Forward 

Today, Massena practices as an arbitrator and mediator while serving as an associate adjunct professor at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, where she teaches a class on arbitration. Teaching has always been a personal goal, and she has embraced the opportunity to give back to the next generation of labor professionals. 

"I am very excited to be at this point in my career and in my life," she reflects. 

A Message for Aspiring Arbitrators 

Cheryl Massena's story is a reminder that careers are rarely built in a straight line. Her path wound through prosecution, labor advocacy, elder advocacy, family court, and civil litigation before arriving at arbitration. Each role added depth to her understanding of how disputes arise and how they can be resolved. 

For those considering a career in arbitration, her journey offers several lessons. First, follow your curiosity. That question she asked Marty Scheinman during a hearing break set everything in motion. Second, seek out mentorship and training. Programs like the LADP provide not just knowledge but also community and access. Third, be patient with your path. The varied experiences that may seem like detours often become the foundation of expertise. 

The field of labor arbitration needs dedicated professionals who bring integrity, preparation, and a genuine commitment to fair resolution. If Cheryl Massena's story speaks to you, perhaps it is time to ask your own version of that simple question: "How do I get to do this?" 

The answer may be closer than you think.