Dispute Resolution Society Revives, Expands Its Reach at Boyd
Written By Mike Weatherford
Adam Marchant and Raymond Wu entered law school, they didn’t know much about dispute resolution — and they figured most of their classmates didn’t know much either. After all, two sides sitting down to have an honest conversation isn’t quite the riveting courtroom drama portrayed in movies and TV shows.
During their first year of law school, the two revived the Dispute Resolution Society, serving as co-presidents of the student-run organization that needed new, energetic student leadership and a vision for how the organization could do more to introduce law students to dispute resolution..
“Most of the students — especially the 1Ls we talked to — didn’t know what Alternative Dispute Resolution is,” Marchant says.
“Just educating people, whether they want to do litigation or transactional work, has been big for us,” he adds, noting that they first learned about the society in a class with Professor Jean Sternlight, founding director of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution.
Wu says he entered law school with only a rough concept of ADR — and was “mind-boggled” to learn that more than 90 percent of cases nationally settle outside of court. Yet he has found it easy to interest fellow students in mediation, arbitration, and settlement negotiation.
“These everyday negotiation skills are massive,” Wu says.
As co-presidents, they divide responsibilities: Marchant focuses on building attorney connections and organizing guest speakers, while Wu leads student outreach — including efforts to introduce undergraduates to ADR.
“We want them to arrive at law school with a better understanding than we had of how the process works,” Wu explains.
The Dispute Resolution Society’s last major event was a September 2024 panel moderated by the State Bar of Nevada ADR Section Chair Shirley Blazich, featuring guests including District Court Judges Anna Albertson and Tina Talim. In October, the group will host Meet Michael Saltman — A Business Perspective on ADR, featuring the developer and namesake of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution.
During the summer of 2025, Wu and Marchant learned the importance of ADR during their internships: Wu at Barron & Pruitt, and Marchant on the business court docket of Judge Susan Johnson at the Eighth Judicial District Court.
“When the amount for attorney fees is in the seven figures, anyone can acknowledge the importance of resolution,” Marchant says.
Wu agrees. “It’s just a great cost-savings tool,” he says. “Sometimes both sides stall out even when they’re only a few thousand dollars apart. It’s fascinating to see it live — watching both sides try to figure out, ‘How do we meet?’”