Thomas M. Blumenthal

St. Louis, Missouri Attorney

Phone:  314-244-3635


Location:  Clayton, Missouri
Fax:  314-727-2101

No longer actively involved in litigation, Tom Blumenthal concentrates his practice in Dispute Resolution, both online and in person. Dispute Resolution through Mediation, Arbitration, or Early Neutral Evaluation is no longer the exception, and online Dispute Resolution is the most practical way to engage in Dispute Resolution in a convenient cost-effective manner for all parties See our Dispute Resolution practice area page, here.

Tom still serves as a mentor and resource for the Firm’s litigation attorneys and an advisor on ethics compliance. He participates in the Firm’s appellate work in both drafting, review and strategic assessment.

Having advocated for clients in courtrooms, appellate courts, mediations, and arbitrations for over 40 years, in St. Louis and in many other parts of the country, Tom tried and won complex jury and court-tried cases and briefed and argued cases to appellate courts including the Missouri Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court. He has mediated and served as an arbitrator on business, commercial, intellectual property, real estate, construction, and employment cases since 1995.

Tom taught arbitration at the Washington University School of Law from 2006 through 2010, having developed the syllabus and curriculum, and is on national and international arbitration and mediation panels with the American Arbitration Association and other provider organizations.

Tom believes in the responsibility of the Bar to help those in need. He volunteers as a facilitator to the Missouri Bar Dispute Resolution Program, working on disputes between attorneys and their clients. He has represented the poor, the marginalized, and the exploited of society in their quest for justice and fair treatment under the Constitution, first as a Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellow, then as a Legal Aid attorney, and for years as a co-operating attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union.

Recent Posts by Thomas Blumenthal

August 9, 2023 in Divorce Mediation, Mediation, Thomas Blumenthal Featured

Never Say Never to a Mediated Resolution

By Thomas M. Blumenthal I often get well into mediations and think to myself that the parties are so intractable…
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November 25, 2020 in Mediation, Thomas Blumenthal Featured

Unlock the Door to Mediation

By: Thomas M. Blumenthal In the world of court-based mediation, particularly in the civil business and employment sectors, the concept…
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April 12, 2017 in Business and Corporate, Thomas Blumenthal Featured

The Other Person’s Shoes May Stink – But Try Them On

By: Thomas M. Blumenthal There is a lot of anger and stress in the world today. We demonize everyone who doesn’t…
Read More

Legal Certifications

  • Approved Mediator, Federal and State Courts, American Arbitration Association

Bar Admissions

  • Missouri, 1976
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri, 1977
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri, 1977
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 1985
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 1988

Education

  • University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law, Columbia, Missouri
    • J.D. – 1976
  • Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
    • B.A. – 1973
  • AAA Commercial Arbitrator Training Workshop, St. Louis, 2/1999, 16 hours
  • Mediation Training, CDR Associates, Boulder, 7/1995, 40 hours
  • Online Mediation Training, Mediate.com, 7/2020, 20 hours

Published Works

  • Civil Rules Practice, Rules 77 to 84, Missouri Practice Series, Vol. 17, 2nd Edition
  • The Equal Protection Clause Applied to the Rights of School Children, Vol. XXXIV, St. Louis Bar Journal, No. 3, pp. 15-20, 1988
  • Judicial Activism – The Politicization of the Right of Privacy, St. Louis University Public Law Review, Vo. XI, No. 2, 1992
  • The Absence of Penological Rationale in the Restrictions on the Rights of Incarcerated Women, (Co-Author with Kelly M. Brunie), The Ben J. Altheimer Symposium, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review, Vol. 32, No. 4, Summer, 2010

Classes/Seminars

  • Arbitration Theory and Practice, Washington University School of Law, 2006 – 2010
  • Pre-Trial Practice and Procedure, Washington University School of Law, 1979 – 1983

Honors and Awards

  • Best Lawyers in America 2024 St. Louis Arbitration Lawyer of the Year
  • Best Lawyers in America 2019 St. Louis Arbitration Lawyer of the Year
  • Best Lawyers in America 2018 St. Louis Mediation Lawyer of the Year
  • Best Lawyers in America 2017 St. Louis Arbitration Lawyer of the Year
  • Best Lawyers in America 2016 St. Louis Mediation Lawyer of the Year
  • Best Lawyers in America 2012 St. Louis Arbitration Lawyer of the Year
  • Civil Liberties Award, American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri, 2011
  • Best Lawyers in America, Alternate Dispute Resolution, 2007 – Present
  • Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers, Alternate Dispute Resolution, 2006 – Present

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Association of Attorney Mediators, Member
  • American Arbitration Association, Arbitrator, Mediator

Past Employment Positions

  • Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship, Fellow, 1976 – 1978
  • Washington University School of Law, Clinical Law Teacher, 1979 – 1983

Pro Bono Activities

  • President, American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri, 1989-1992; 2007 – 2010
  • Dispute Resolution Facilitator, Missouri Bar