US Magistrate Judges on the Art of Settlement

Program Materials: LINK
Program Recording: LINK

In many district courts across the country, one of the principal duties of the magistrate judges is to conduct settlement conferences. Some conduct more than 100 such conferences a year; thousands over the course of a career. At JAMS, a deep bench of 35 retired magistrate judges put this experience to work for parties in dispute.

In this webinar, three retired magistrate judges—all now full-time ADR practitioners—will discuss how attorneys can best position their clients for success from the outset. Preparation for mediation, managing client expectations and even whether parties use opening statements in mediation, are all aspects of the process that prime issues for resolution long before mediation day. In this session, participants will learn:

• How to prepare for mediation, including how to use opening statements to further eventual settlement goals
• Why it is important to think about the “endgame” right from the start
• How to effectively use caucus to manage client expectations
• How certain closing techniques can be useful for breaking impasse

Time will be reserved for Q&A.

Featured JAMS Speakers:

• Hon. Nancy Johnson (Ret.) | JAMS Houston
• Hon. Sidney I. Schenkier (Ret.) | JAMS Chicago
• Hon. Donald G. Wilkerson (Ret.) | JAMS St. Louis