Profile

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, Mortiz College of Law, graduating first in her class. After law school, Professor Blankley clerked for the Honorable Eugene E. Siler on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Honorable Kermit E. Bye on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Following her two appellate clerkships, Professor Blankley practiced at the Columbus, Ohio office of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, LLP. Her practice involved a wide variety of civil litigation matters, including cases involving the First Amendment, trade secrets, contract issues, and product liability.

Professor Blankley teaches Alternative Dispute Resolution, Advocacy in Mediation, Mediation, and Arbitration. She first became interested in the field while in law school, where she earned a Certificate in Dispute Resolution. Her research has largely focused on how parties can customize alternative processes to suit their dispute-resolution needs. Her research also deals with the crossroads of alternative dispute resolution and legal ethics. Professor Blankley is an active member of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, regularly speaking at their annual meeting. Additionally, she serves on the American Bar Association Law School Division Arbitration Competitions Committee, which oversees the annual law school Arbitration Competition. Professor Blankley is also a practicing mediator in Nebraska.

Professor Blankley also instituted and coaches the Nebraska Law College Representation in Mediation Competition for students. This competition teaches students how to be effective advocates for their clients in mediation. Professor Blankley runs an intra-school competition and then travels with the winning students to compete against students from other schools.

Professor Blankley sits on the Board of Directors of both The Mediation Center and the Nebraska Mediation Association. She is also on the Parenting Act Evaluation Advisory Counsel, a group that is assessing the success of mediation of parenting time disputes in Nebraska.

Areas of Expertise

• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Mediation
• Arbitration
• Negotiation

Education

• J.D., summa cum laude, The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law (2004)
• Order of the Coif, 2004
• Managing Editor, 2003-2004, Ohio State Law Review
• B.A., summa cum laude, Hiram College (2001)