Mediation Faculty

Mediation

Dathan Weems, dathan@weemslaw.com

Dathan Weems is a litigation and mediation attorney in private practice in Albuquerque. His experience in both litigation and mediation provides a comprehensive and balanced approach to conflict, giving his clients multiple paths to resolution. In 2015, Dathan began teaching mediation classes at the UNM Law School after many years coaching and presenting on mediation topics in the State of New Mexico. Dathan is a member of numerous mediation organizations, including the New Mexico Mediation Association, the State Bar ADR Committee, and Association for Conflict Resolution. Dathan has deep roots in the Albuquerque nonprofit community. He is the board chair for Mayor Keller’s Volunteer Advisory Board, as well as for Albuquerque Involved, a nonprofit Dathan created that betters the community through service work and grants. Dathan was born and raised in Farmington, New Mexico. He attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas for his undergraduate and came home to get his law degree at the UNM School of Law.

Hannah Bell, hannah.bridget.bell@gmail.com

Hannah Bell holds a J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law, where she studied mediation. In addition to co-teaching mediation through the University of New Mexico’s School of Law mediation class, she regularly mediates for the State of New Mexico. She is a member of the New Mexico Mediation Association. After personally realizing the impact of financial freedom and witnessing the financial struggles of colleagues and professionals around her, Hannah left practicing law to become a financial coach. Her mission is to help clients create a framework to afford a happier life. Her experience with mediation provides a unique approach for coaching her clients.

Family Mediation

Laura Bassein, laura.bassein@sbnm.org

Laura Bassein currently serves as Director of the Center for Legal Education at the NM Bar Foundation. Previously, Laura served as Director of the Institute of Public Law and the NM Judicial Education Center at the UNM School of Law. Laura represents UNM School of Law as a Commissioner on the NM Supreme Court ADR Commission. Formerly, Laura worked for New Mexico’s Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), as the point of contact attorney for domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking issues and as the statewide coordinator for the Children’s Court Mediation Program. Prior to working at AOC, Laura served for several years as Program Manager/Mediator for the Pro Se Mediation Program in the Second Judicial District Court in Albuquerque. Laura previously worked in the Michigan Supreme Court’s Office of Dispute Resolution managing several statewide mediation programs. She obtained her law degree in 1986 from the University of Colorado and practiced law in both the private and public sectors for nearly 10 years before turning toward work in ADR.

Since the mid-1990s, Laura has served as a trainer in conflict resolution, basic mediation, child protection mediation, family mediation, various other advanced mediation topics, and has taught and lectured on numerous legal and ADR topics. She has taught Basic Mediation and Family Mediation at the UNM School of Law since 2008, as well as Introduction to ADR. Laura has trained mediators and attorneys in several New Mexico judicial districts on the intersection of domestic violence and mediation. Laura was invited: 1) to present a day-long institute on domestic violence and mediation at the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Annual Meeting in Toronto in 2014; 2) to serve as Battered Women’s Justice Project faculty, after participating in the 3-day 2015 National Custody Project Faculty Development Training in Minnesota; 3) to participate in the 2016 Judicial Roundtable on Mediation convened by the Office of Violence Against Women in Washington DC; 4) to serve in 2017-18 on Center for Court Innovation curriculum development work to create the Domestic Violence Fundamentals Training for court staff; and 5) to serve on the National Workgroup that finalized the Child Protection Mediation (CPM) Model Mediator Competencies in 2019. She continues to frequently work at the national level on mediation and domestic violence issues.

David Peter Levin, davidlevin@mindspring.com

David Levin graduated from Harvard College in 1971, UNM School of Law in 1977 and has been a trained mediator since 1987. He began his legal career as a civil litigator and general practitioner, later becoming an "AV" rated Board Recognized Specialist in Family Law. David became Director of Court Alternatives, Second Judicial District Court, State of New Mexico, in 2002, and State Project Manager, Mediation Program, Magistrate Division, Administrate Office of the Courts in 2013. He is Co-Chair of the Statewide Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission, New Mexico Supreme Court. David has taught basic, family, magistrate court, and advanced mediation, as well as settlement facilitation.