Kristen Blankley Henry M. Grether, Jr., Professor of Law
Professor Blankley is the Henry M. Grether, Jr., Professor of Law. She teaches and researches in the areas of alternative dispute resolution, legal ethics, and at the intersection of ethics and dispute resolution. She teaches Alternative Dispute Resolution, Advocacy in Mediation, Mediation, Family Mediation, Arbitration, Facilitation, and Legal Professions, and Sports Law Practice. She also coaches students in mediation competitions.
Professor Blankley researches a wide variety of topics within alternative dispute resolution. She publishes on domestic arbitration topics under the Federal Arbitration Act, focusing on issues involving jurisdiction, preemption, statutory interpretation. She also writes on mediation ethics, arbitration ethics, collaborative law ethics, and other topics in the area of ADR ethics. She is also engaged in interdisciplinary research focusing primarily on restorative justice.
She is involved in ADR policy within Nebraska as well as nationwide initiatives. Professor Blankley served as a member of the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Council from 2016-2022, and she is a former chair for the Section on Ethics. Professor Blankley has been involved in developing ethics policies and standards in the areas of mediation, restorative justice, and special master work.
Professor Blankley currently sits on the University's Academic Rights and Responsibility Panel, which is an elected position. She also serves by appointment on the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee.
Locally, Professor Blankley sits on the Board of Directors of The Mediation Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is a past member of the Board of Directors and former Board President of the Nebraska Mediation Association. She also serves as the Secretary of the Advisory Council for the Nebraska Office of Dispute Resolution. Professor Blankley serves as a community mediator for three community mediation centers across Nebraska. She is a member of the FINRA roster of arbitrators, for consumer and employment cases in the area of securities.
Professor Blankley joined the faculty in 2010. She received her B.A. in History and Political Science and graduated summa cum laude from Hiram College, and she received her J.D. from The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law, and graduating first in her class and earning a Certificate in Dispute Resolution. After law school, Professor Blankley served as a law clerk on the Sixth and Eighth Circuits and worked at the Columbus, Ohio office of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, LLP (now Squire Patton Boggs).
Watch to see how Professor Blankley's research is disrupting the school to prison pipeline in Nebraska.
Paul Weitzel Assistant Professor of Law
Professor Paul Weitzel joined the UNL faculty in 2022. Prior to that he worked in Silicon Valley and the Middle East conducting international transactions on six continents. His most notable deal was the initial public offering of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, the largest initial public offering to date. Professor Weitzel’s experience covers mergers and acquisitions, international and domestic capital markets, venture capital and infrastructure.
Professor Weitzel’s scholarly research aims to humanize the corporate experience. His work explores the legal and governance constraints that drive antisocial corporate behavior, with the goal of revising the underlying theories of corporate purpose and corporate personality to empower executives.