Professors Tom Stipanowich and Stephanie Blondell Present "Lessons from the Life and Career of Abraham Lincoln for Today's Problem-Solvers and Resolvers of Conflict" -- State Bar of Arizona Convention

Professors Thomas J. Stipanowich and Stephanie Blondell presented "What Would Lincoln Do?: Lessons from the Life and Career of Abraham Lincoln for Today's Problem-Solvers and Resolvers of Conflict" at the Arizona State Bar 2023 Convention. Professors Stipanowich and Blondell guided the participants through the remarkable life of sixteenth president Abraham Lincoln, with a focus on applicable lessons for today’s advocates and dispute resolution professionals. The participants honed skills to negotiate complex disputes involving diverse/competing interests and priorities, frame concessions, and overcome unconscious bias. In addition, the participants learned civil war era lessons in professional formation, including coping with anxiety and depression, rivalry and competition, self-regulation, and ego, all relevant to the very real dynamics of 21st-century lawyering.

Description of "What Would Lincoln Do?: Lessons from the Life and Career of Abraham Lincoln for Today's Problem-Solvers and Resolvers of Conflict"

Abraham Lincoln is perhaps the most familiar figure in U.S. history and the most written-about, but there are still many more lessons to learn from Lincoln’s life and career. Our sixteen President was not only a transformational leader who brought our nation through its most terrible conflict and played a key role in ending slavery for millions but was also a workaday lawyer and politician who sought opportunities for interest-based resolutions and creative approaches to disputes. Over and over again, Lincoln demonstrated his capacity for growth—his ability to learn from experience, adjust to circumstances, and even reshape his perspectives and practices to meet new challenges. In this innovative program combining historical scenarios with modern insights on the psychology of conflict and communication, Pepperdine professors Tom Stipanowich and Stephanie Blondell will draw on episodes from Lincoln’s remarkable life and career as the touchstone for engaging discussions and interactive exercises for today’s advocates and dispute resolution professionals.

The conference took place in Tucson on June 11-14.  Additional information may be found at Arizona State Bar