SERVING LITIGANTS AND THEIR COUNSEL SINCE 1981

The mediation office initiates and facilitates confidential settlement discussions in Sixth Circuit civil appeals and Bankruptcy Appellate Panel (BAP) cases. Goals secondary to settlement include clarification of the issues to be presented on appeal and prevention or elimination of procedural problems that can be avoided by agreement. Most cases are selected randomly from the types of case considered most amenable to mediation.

The majority of initial conferences are conducted by telephone for the ease and economy it affords counsel and their clients; for this reason also clients are not required to attend initial conferences. However, counsel are encouraged to have clients attend and/or suggest client participation by all sides when it would likely increase chances of settlement. In this regard, the office encourages counsel to advise when in-person conferences might be preferable.

The office employs five mediators, all in Cincinnati. All are lawyers with varied prior experience, and all have extensive mediation and/or negotiation training. While each mediator's style may differ, most employ a facilitative approach in which they are more likely to try to assist counsel in exploring settlement options, evaluating the merits of appellate issues, and appraising the settlement value of the case, than to urge specific solutions.

The office mediates approximately 1000 appeals per year, about 40% of which are resolved with no judicial involvement.

About Mediation Conferences
Local Rule 33
Contact Information
Mediation Staff
Request a Mediation Conference (PDF)
Forms
Remand Procedures for Settled Cases
Publications

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