ABOUT STEMLEY MEDIATION & LAW, LLC

Stemley Mediation and Law, LLC was founded by attorney Betty A. Stemley who has practiced law in Maryland for over 3 decades.  The primary philosophy of the firm is three-fold.

First, through quality mediation services offered by SM&L, litigants and businesses can be sufficiently empowered to have greater control over the final resolution of any dispute they may be involved in, greater control in determining when those disputes will be resolved and greater control in the overall cost of dispute resolution.

Second, legal services should be offered in such a way as to empower clients to utilize methods of self help where available and preferred and, where legal assistance of an attorney is necessary, the service should be honest, thorough, prompt and effective.

Third, the state and federal laws exist to define how people and business should relate to one another.  If followed, the laws should make personal and business relationships more productive, however, if the law is not meeting its purpose, it is each person’s right to seek to have the law changed.

Accordingly, SM&L offers mediation services in all civil non-domestic matters, consulting for policy development and regulatory compliance and general legal services in the areas of:

  • Civil Rights
  • Discrimination
  • Police Conduct
  • Personal Injury
  • Employment
  • Contracts (private and governmental)
  • Civil Defense
  • Regulation Drafting
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Maryland Public Information Act Requests

ABOUT SM&L FOUNDER BETTY A. STEMLEY

Ms. Stemley was admitted to the Maryland State Bar in 1982.  In addition to her admittance to Maryland Courts, she has since been admitted to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.  She served the bulk of her career in the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Maryland as an Assistant Attorney General.  During this time, she served as Principal Counsel to the Maryland Department State Police, Counsel to the Maryland Transportation Administration and counsel to various units of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Ms. Stemley provided advice and representation to the State, State agencies and individual employees for nearly 30 years on a wide range of legal issues including but not limited to employment (hiring, separation and promotion policies), contracts, procurement, State and federal constitutional rights, discrimination, employee discipline, and police discipline.  She provided legal guidance to her clients in litigation and policy development regarding the United States Constitution (e.g., search and seizure, arrest, free speech, equal rights in employment and police practices), the Maryland Constitution, the Maryland Declaration of Rights, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disability Act, the Maryland Tort Claims Act, the Maryland Public Information Act and other state and federal laws.

Approximately, 20 years ago, Ms. Stemley received initial basic mediation training.   She received training from the Better Business Bureau, MICPEL, and the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings.  She’s conducted mediations for cases filed in both Maryland circuit and district courts working with numerous Maryland law firms and insurance agencies.