ADR in the Federal District Courts –District-by-District Summaries revised March 2016 District How Voluntary is Provider of Payments for Attendance Sanctions Confidentiality the ADR process? Mediation Services Neutrals Requirement Available Completely voluntary - Judicial Officer. ALM “The [C]ourt strictly enforces the requires both parties’ See Mediating in the Alabama confidentiality of mediation.” consent. Parties are Middle District of Middle See L.R. 16.1; Mediating in the required, however, “to Alabama. Middle District of Alabama. consider whether mediation will assist the parties in resolving” their case. See L.R. 16.1; Mediating in the Middle District of Alabama. Ordered by the Court or The Court maintains a Panel neutrals are The Court may ALN Parties or “The parties and the mediator by agreement of all panel of private compensated at impose sanctions for Alabama representatives may not disclose information parties. If ordered, a neutrals. The neutral is reasonable rates agreed failure to attend Northern and their primary regarding the process, including party may file either selected by the to by the parties or set mediation attorneys must the terms of settlement, except as objections. If the Court or by agreement by the court. Parties conferences. attend mediation required by law or otherwise parties want to utilize a of all parties. split fees unless court See Alternative conferences. agreed by the parties. The form of ADR other See Alternative Dispute orders or parties agree Dispute Resolution See Alternative mediation process must be treated than mediation, the Resolution Plan. otherwise. Volunteer Plan. Dispute as a compromise negotiation or Court may permit them panel neutrals are asked Resolution Plan. purposes of the Federal Rules of to do so. to provide up to 5 hours Evidence and State rules of See L.R. 16.1; of uncompensated evidence.” Alternative Dispute services each year. See Alternative Dispute Resolution Plan. See Alternative Dispute Resolution Plan. Resolution Plan. District How Voluntary is Provider of Payments for Attendance Sanctions Confidentiality the ADR Process? Mediation Services Neutrals Requirement Available ALS Ordered by the Court or Magistrate Judge, panel Parties must bear Parties or The Court may The mediation process shall be Alabama by agreement of all neutral or appropriate expenses equally unless representatives impose sanctions for treated as a compromise Southern parties. If ordered, a neutral evaluator. otherwise agreed to by and their primary failure to attend negotiation for the purposes of party may file See L.R 16(d). the parties or ordered attorneys must mediation the FRE and State rules of objections. by the court. Mediator attend mediation conferences. evidence. As a result, any See L.R. 16(d); must be compensated at conferences. See Alternative information revealed and not Alternative Dispute a "reasonable rate.” Dispute Resolution otherwise known by the opposing Resolution Plan. See Alternative Dispute See Alternative Plan. party is inadmissible for any Resolution Plan. Dispute purpose absent a specific ruling Resolution Plan. by the Court. See Alternative Dispute Resolution Plan. AK The Court may order Either a private neutral Paid according to No communication by a mediator Alaska mediation upon the that the parties agree mediator's fee schedule. or any other person during the request of one or both upon, or a judicial Parties share cost mediation may be disclosed parties, or on the officer (who is not equally unless unless all parties and the mediator Court’s own motion. assigned to case and otherwise agreed on by consent. Mediation or settlement See L.R. 16.2. who consents to serve). parties or ordered by statements may not be disclosed See L.R. 16.2(e)(2). court. Court may without the parties’ express intervene if there is a consent and are not admissible in dispute regarding any proceeding. However, there compensation. See are some limited exceptions if L.R. 16.2(i). disclosure is (1) not prohibited by law; (2) necessary to prevent manifest injustice; and (3) necessity outweighs need for confidentiality. See L.R. 16.2(i). AZ The Court may order Magistrate judge. See Yes. See Yes. See Settlement “All communications and Arizona mediation or ENE; The L.R. 83.10 Settlement Conference Orders information exchanged during the Court may offer or the Conference Orders for Magistrate settlement process, not otherwise parties may request all for Magistrate Judges: Bade, discoverable, will not be other methods. Judges: Bade, Boyle, and Burns admissible in evidence for any See L.R. 83.10 Boyle, and Burns purpose.” See Boyle Order; see also Bade and Burns Orders. District How Voluntary is Provider of Payments for Attendance Sanctions Confidentiality the ADR Process? Mediation Services Neutrals Requirement Available ARE Parties must “consider” Magistrate judges are “Communications of litigants, Arkansas the use of ADR, except authorized to conduct attorneys and magistrate judges Eastern in exempted cases. settlement conferences. during the ADR process are amended See General Order 50. See General Order 50. confidential, and disclosure of 2012 these communications is prohibited.” See General Order 50. ARW Parties must "consider" Magistrate judges are “Communications of litigants, Arkansas the use of ADR, except authorized to conduct attorneys and magistrate judges Western in exempted cases. settlement conferences. during the ADR process are See General Order 32. See General Order 32. confidential, and disclosure of these communications is prohibited.” See General Order 32. CAC Cases are either Individual from Preparation time and Parties or a Sanctions may be Confidential information shall California presumptively referred Mediator Panel list; the first three hours are representative imposed. See include: written mediation Central to the Court - Directed District Judge, provided free of charge. with final General Order 11-10 statements; documents prepared ADR program or magistrate judge, or After three hours, the authority to settle (section 10). for purpose of, in the course of, or referred following an private neutral. See panel mediator may: (1) must attend. The pursuant to mediation; anything individual or joint General Order 11-10 permit the parties to Mediator has the that happened or was said relating request made during the (sections 3, 5 and 6). conclude mediation; (2) discretion to allow to the subject matter of the case in rule 26(f) conference. continue to mediate parties residing mediation; any position taken; Certain categories of without compensation; outside the district and any view of the merits of the cases are exempted or (3) continue to to participate by case expressed by any participant. from Court-Directed mediate at rates agreed telephone. Trial There are limited exceptions to ADR Program. See upon by neutral and Attorneys must the confidentiality rule and the General Order 11-10 parties. See General also be present. mediator may ask the parties to (sections 5 and 6). Order 11-10 See General Order sign a confidentiality agreement. (section 3). 11-10 (section 8). See General Order 11-10 (section 9). District How Voluntary is Provider of Payments for Attendance Sanctions Confidentiality the ADR Process? Mediation Services Neutrals Requirement Available CAE Cases are either Either a Voluntary Neutrals served without Parties and their Sanctions may be Except as provided in this rule California presumptively referred Dispute Resolution compensation. lead counsel are imposed. and except as otherwise required Eastern to the Voluntary Program (VDRP) See L.R. 271 required to attend See L.R. 271 by law, all communications made Dispute Resolution volunteer panel neutral (section G). in person. (section P). in any VDRP proceeding shall be Program (VDRP) or or a private neutral. Requests to attend privileged and confidential unless referred following an See L.R. 271 telephonically stipulated in writing by all parties joint request made by (section E). may be granted if and the Neutral. the parties. Certain attendance would See L.R. 271 (section M). categories of cases are impose a serious exempted from the and unjustifiable VDRP. Referral to hardship, but VDRP may be ordered requests may only for discrete subparts of be made after complex cases. conferring with See L.R. 271 (sections opposing counsel. A-C). See L.R. 271 (section L). CAN Most cases are ADR neutrals may be The ADR program Parties and their Sanctions may be Confidential information shall California automatically assigned individuals from the requires that neutrals lead counsel are imposed. include: written ADR statements; Northern to ADR. Cases may certified ADR panel, volunteer preparation required to attend See ADR L.R. 2-4. documents prepared for purpose also be assigned to legal staff of ADR time and the first four in person. of, in the course of, or pursuant to ADR following a joint Unit, private neutrals, hours. Afterwards, the Requests to attend ADR; anything that happened or stipulation by all or judicial officers. neutral may (1) telephonically was said relating to the subject parties, or by Court See ADR L.R. 2-5. continue to volunteer, may be granted if matter of the case in ADR; any order following a (2) conclude the ADR attendance would position taken; and any view of party’s motion or the procedure, or (3) be impose a serious the merits of the case expressed Court’s own initiative. paid a rate that the and unjustifiable by any participant. There are A party that has been parties agree to pay. hardship, but limited exceptions to this rule and automatically referred If necessary, other requests may only the ADR neutral may ask the to ADR may seek relief arrangements can be be made after parties to sign a confidentiality from automatic referral. made. Private ADR conferring with agreement. See ADR L.R. 5- See ADR L.R. 3-3. may be subject to opposing counsel. 12(ENE); 6-12 (Mediation); 7-4 different rules. See See ADR L.R.