Professor Stephanie Blondell Presents "What Attorney Mediators Need to Know About ABA Formal Ethics Opinion 518" -- ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility

Professor Stephanie Blondell presented "What Attorney Mediators Need to Know About ABA Formal Ethics Opinion 518: A Program of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section and its Mediation, Educators, and Ethics Committees" for the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility. Professor Blondell spoke on the recently issued Opinion 518, addressing a lawyer’s duty to avoid misleading communications when serving as a mediator. Over 300 participants joined the online panel that took place on January 23. The program highlighted key takeaways for attorney mediators, including role descriptions, expectation management, ethical risks, and practical steps to maintain trust, neutrality, and effectiveness in mediation.

The panel was composed of an esteemed group of academics, mediators, and ethicists, including John Barkett of Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.; Thomas G. Wilkinson, Jr. of Cozen O'Connor; Kathleen Wilkinson of Wilson Elser; and Richard Birke, senior vice president at JAMS.