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Mediation in the Western District of Washington

NCJ Number
96314
Author(s)
K Tegland
Date Published
1984
Length
39 pages
Annotation
This report describes the mediation procedure used for selected civil cases in the Western District of Washington.
Abstract
The court initiated the mediation program in response to what it perceived as an emergency in the administration of civil cases: several judgeships were vacant, filings were increasing sharply, and Congress had imposed requirements for the priority scheduling of criminal trials. To alleviate the growing backlog of civil cases, the court and the local Federal bar association jointly developed a procedure by which judges may refer civil cases to volunteer attorneys who serve as mediators without compensation to attempt to induce settlements. This procedure is embodied in Local Civil Rule 39.1. The report describes both the codified procedure and its actual operation, based on interviews with judges, court clerks, attorneys who have used the procedure, and attorneys who drafted the local rule. The text of the local rule and sample letters designating cases for mediation are included as aids to other courts that might consider adopting such a program.