UNLV announced today it has received another significant contribution from Michael and Sonja Saltman to further support the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution (SCCR) at the William S. Boyd School of Law.

The donation, which creates an endowment for the Center, is the second such contribution to the law school from the Saltmans since 2003, when they helped create the Center with an initial $1 million gift.

"Sonja and I are proud to offer our continued support of the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at UNLV, "said Michael Saltman. "We believe the work being done here is extremely important, and we look forward to helping the Center's ongoing efforts toward bringing peaceful resolutions to our most difficult and complex legal conflicts."

UNLV President Carol C. Harter praised the Saltmans for contributing to the long term success of the institution and its students.

"Once again Mike and Sonja have demonstrated their steadfast commitment to this university, its student body, and to the community," said Harter. "Their ongoing support is integral to our success now and in the future."

Law school Dean Richard Morgan agreed that the faculty, students, and staff are indebted to the Saltmans for both their vision and generosity.

"Mike and Sonja's leadership and support of the law school have truly been inspirational," Morgan said. "As a result of their generosity, we've been able to recruit great people to build a nationally-known program in conflict resolution that will further our law school's mission of community service. We look forward to working with them to build a great dispute resolution program."

The SCCR was established in 2003 to provide a venue for advanced study of the nature of conflict and the methods through which conflicts can be resolved without litigation.

The work of the 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 Center places particular emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and resolving disputes.

Directed by law professor Jean Sternlight, the SCCR has quickly become an integral part of the law school's mission and has already achieved considerable success. Since the center's inception, teams of students have placed first, second and third in national competitions in the areas of interviewing and counseling and negotiation - accomplishments almost unheard of for such a young program.

In addition to the academic and scholarly objectives, the Center also has a strong public service component. Boyd law students and faculty have applied their mediation and arbitration skills to facilitate the resolution of public and private sector disputes.

Michael Saltman is managing general partner and president of The Vista Group, a real estate development company. The Vista Group is active in property management and development in Nev., Calif., Utah, and Fla. He was nominated to the UNLV Foundation board of trustees in 1986 and serves on the board's Real Estate Committee. Sonja Saltman is a UNLV alumna, with both a bachelor's and master's degree in psychology.