Saltman Center announces 2019- 2020 student fellows
The Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution is thrilled to announce that Dallas Anselmo, Sam Bruketta, Astasia Lucas, Petya Pucci, and Richard Young have all been selected as the 2019-2020 Saltman Center Fellows.
Read on to learn more about each of our new Saltman Fellows and their interest in dispute resolution.
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Dallas Anselmo
My name is Dallas Anselmo; I am a member of the Class of 2021 at the William S. Boyd School of Law. Conflict resolution enables interactions with individuals from both sides of a conflict. I look forward to working with individual people and their unique concerns beyond the rigid nature of a courtroom. Additionally, a vast majority of legal disputes are settled by individuals searching for a compromise, not by parties before a judge. As a result, I am excited to devote time to skills that dominate the realistic practice of law. For these reasons, I am grateful to serve as a Fellow for the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution.
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Sam Bruketta
Sam Bruketta is a native Nevadan from Carson City. He is a second-year law student whose goal is to continue to expand Nevadans' access to dispute resolution programs outside of the court system. While a student at the University of Nevada, Reno, Sam laid the groundwork for developing a student-led mediation program for undergraduate students. His draw to conflict resolution comes from his background in problem-solving and working to develop individually tailored solutions. Sam is a Dean's Scholar Recipient and serves as a member of the law school's Academic Standards Committee.
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Astasia Lucas
Astasia Lucas is currently a third-year law student pursuing a dispute resolution concentration, with interest in family law, criminal law, and personal injury. Astasia's interest in dispute resolution stems from her educational and work experience, where she has learned that most cases settle through some form of conflict resolution before going to trial. Astasia is Secretary of the Dispute Resolution Society and hopes to encourage more students to get involved with the organization. Further, Astasia works as a Personal Injury Law Clerk at the law firm of Nettles Morris and has externed for the Honorable Frank P. Sullivan at the Eighth Judicial District Court. Prior to law school, Astasia earned her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a minor in Marriage & Family Therapy from UNLV. She also worked as a legal secretary at a family law firm for several years.
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Petya Pucci
My name is Petya Pucci and I am a rising 2L here at the William S. Boyd School of Law. Interestingly, this is my second time attending law school. I am originally from Bulgaria and I spent three years studying law there before moving to the United States in 2011.
I found myself drawn to Conflict Resolution because it relies on cooperation, rather than competition. I believe that peaceful, mutual agreements have a more positive and longer-lasting impact on the parties involved. Further, while in litigation there are typically winners and losers, in Conflict Resolution, each party may provide its input until a compromise is reached.
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Richard Young
Richard Young is a dual JD/MBA candidate at the Boyd School of Law. His interests in negotiation and dispute resolution include complex contract disputes, the effects of third-party litigation funding on dispute resolution, and how disputing parties can leverage predictive analytics to inform their decision-making processes. Richard worked as an extern for the Honorable August B. Landis of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada and is currently the President of the Dispute Resolution Society. Prior to law school, Richard graduated Magna Cum Laude with University Honors from UNLV receiving his Bachelor of Science in Finance. He received the Lee Business School's academic excellence award for graduating at the top of his major.