Mending Fences
Donation Allows Law Students and Community to Work Together to Find Resolutions
In January, law students will help neighbors mend fences and avoid the costly court system.
The Strasser Mediation Clinical Program will give students the opportunity to act as mediators in real-life disputes at the Neighborhood Justice Center and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, both in Las Vegas. The program will be offered at the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution in conjunction with the Thomas & Mack Legal Clinic.
This program benefits both students and the community. Students will help resolve disputes involving, among others, debtors and creditors, neighbors, and landlords and tenants. The clinical program also gives students' real-world experience and the chance to help community members work out resolutions.
Ray Patterson, associate director for the Saltman Center and leader of this project, hopes that over time the program can reduce the local courts' caseloads. "Unlike solving matters in court, mediation is about getting the disputants to a solution they can both live with tomorrow. By and large, all parties walk away with some satisfaction," he said.
Students Accepted for Spring Semester
The program accepts applications from upper-level law students who undergo a four-day training program and spend four hours each subsequent week working under the supervision of faculty on cases assigned by the Bankruptcy Court and the Neighborhood Justice Center.
Students will also participate in a three-hour seminar each week to review experiences, refine mediation techniques, analyze cases, and discuss controversial issues. Eight students have been accepted into the mediation program for the spring 2009 semester.
Steve and Sharon Strasser donated funding for the program. Steve Strasser is the CEO and chairman of the board of Power Efficiency Corp.
"In particular, we appreciate the generosity of the Strassers during this period of economic downturn in establishing a program that will develop the mediation skills law school students truly need," Patterson said.
The Saltman Center
The Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution was established in 2003 at the William S. Boyd School of Law in order to provide a venue for advanced study of the nature of conflict and the methods through which conflicts may be resolved.
With the support of Mike and Sonja Saltman, the work of the Saltman Center encompasses conflicts arising out of regional, national, and international concerns, and involving both the public and private sectors. Recognizing that a sophisticated understanding of conflict requires insights derived from disciplines other than law, the Saltman Center places particular emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and resolving disputes.
The 2008 edition of U.S. News & World Report ranked the Saltman Center among the top 10 programs for dispute resolution. In May, the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals awarded the center its Alternative Dispute Resolution Education Award, given annually to programs that have demonstrated a commitment to advancing education in the field of alternative dispute resolution.
Related Information
William S. Boyd School of Law
UNLV Magazine story
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