LAS VEGAS - Dec. 2, 2008 - UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law students will now be eligible to participate in a mediation-training program that includes working on open cases at the Neighborhood Justice Center and U.S. Bankruptcy Court (both located in Las Vegas). Steve and Sharon Strasser have donated funding for the program within the law school's Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution and Thomas & Mack Legal Clinic.

Eds.: A reception recognizing the donation from Steve and Sharon Strasser will be held Wednesday, December 3, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., on the second floor of the law school.

The Strasser Mediation Clinical Program accepts applications from select second-and third-year law school students. Once accepted, students undergo a four-day training program the week before school begins and spend four hours each subsequent week working under the supervision of law school 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.

"The clinical program gives students essential, real-world experience and the chance to help clients in the local community work out resolutions on their own," said Ray Patterson, associate director of The Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution. "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. Over time, one of our goals is to help reduce our local courts' caseloads."

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 necessarily requires insights derived from disciplines other than law, the Saltman Center places particular emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and resolving disputes.

In just five years, the Saltman Center has received many accolades for its dedication to advancing education in the field of alternative dispute resolution. The 2008 edition of U.S. News & World Report ranked the Saltman Center among the top 10 programs for dispute resolution.

The William S. Boyd School of Law has more than 450 students and offers three juris doctor degree programs: a full-time day program, a part-time day program, and a part-time evening program, and three dual degree programs: a J.D./MBA, a J.D./M.S.W. and a J.D./Ph.D. It is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and a member of the American Association of Law Schools, accomplishments it achieved in record time.