Professor Stephanie Blondell, "Why Rational Lawyers Can Make Irrational Deals" -- Riverside Lawyer Magazine

Professor Stephanie Blondell's opinion article, "The Amygdala in the Mediation Room: Why Rational Lawyers Can Make Irrational Deals," is published in Riverside Lawyer magazine, June, 2026. Riverside Lawyer is the official publication of the Riverside County Bar Association. 

Introduction to "The Amygdala in the Mediation Room: Why Rational Lawyers Can Make Irrational Deals"

While most legal professionals are familiar with IQ (intelligence quotient), EQ (emotional intelligence), and CQ (creativity quotient), the best negotiators possess a different literacy: psychological intelligence. In my Psychology of Conflict Communication course at Pepperdine Law, I help law students develop psychological intelligence in negotiation and deal-making. An understanding of the unspoken psychological patterns inherent in how human beings respond in conflict is critical to good lawyering, skillful negotiation, and strategic mediation advocacy. It separates the good advocates from the great. This short article outlines psychology-based settlement advice for advocates in mediation, emphasizing self-coaching to address physiological and cognitive biases

The complete article may be found at Riverside Lawyer