Published on Sep. 23, 2024

Jose Abel Quezada, ’24, has known that he wanted to dedicate his life to solving legal disputes with alternative dispute resolution (ADR) since he began his career as a law clerk working on complex arbitration cases. Now working in ADR as an associate at Cacheaux, Cavasos & Newton in his native Monterrey, Mexico, Quezada can point back to that earlier time as a turning point in his career path.

“I realized the potential of ADR in solving legal disputes; considering litigation is overall useful but it is definitely not always the best way to solve a dispute,” Quezada said. “I always wanted to pursue an LLM abroad which I could use in Mexico and elsewhere, [so] an LLM in dispute resolution made the most sense to me.”

Once he made the decision to advance his education with an LLM, Quezada began searching for programs that would not only fit his specific needs but excelled in teaching dispute resolution. He discovered the University of Missouri School of Law’s online dispute resolution program in a nontraditional, but effective way.

“While looking for a suitable LLM in Dispute Resolution, I was watching a Netflix show called ‘Ozark,’ in which actress Julia Gardner tells his brother he should go study at ‘Mizzou’. I was curious about the university and to my pleasant surprise the university had one of the top dispute resolution LLM programs and it was completely online. It felt meant to be.”

Once he made his decision to study dispute resolution online at Mizzou Law, Quezada was able to continue his career while simultaneously staying at home and studying abroad.

“I mainly chose an online program due to its practicality to continue working while studying, which is great to continue a career whilst learning new abilities to represent and counsel clients in better ways.”

Quezada says the process of taking LLM courses online worked well for his schedule and greatly advanced his level of knowledge in the field.

“My experience as a student taking courses online was top-notch. I cannot stress enough the fact that programs that are specifically designed to be taken online such as Mizzou’s LLM in dispute resolution are excellent and sometimes even better than an in-person modality of learning. Throughout my studies I always felt close to my professors and colleagues. Overall, the faculty, books and program left me with a great impression.”

Since his graduation in May 2024, Quezada has continued his role at his firm in Mexico, utilizing the skills and knowledge he developed in the Mizzou program.

“Currently I am representing a client in several mediation procedures to solve construction disputes, where I definitely apply what I learned in Missouri. My learned negotiation skills also come in very handy in the negotiation of real estate agreements.”

When asked what he would tell others considering the online Mizzou Law dispute resolution LLM program, Quezada promoted the ability to work and learn at the same time.

“The flexibility of this program is valuable for career growth whilst pursuing other personal goals, such as working elsewhere, having a family, or any other plans. I recommend posting good content in the discussion forums early and often The amount of knowledge you can receive from other colleagues and faculty is great with this learning tool.”

While he plans to continue his career in dispute resolution, Quezada also has a goal of teaching as a member of the law faculty at a university in Monterrey, as well as becoming a certified mediator.