Lita Popke brings decades of adjudicative experience to her role as a JAMS neutral, having served 20 years on the Wayne County Circuit Court bench, where she presided over bench and jury trials and held leadership roles including chief judge pro tem and presiding judge of the Family Law Division.

Her philosophy in ADR is grounded in perspective. As she puts it, “Neutral evaluation is giving the parties a different perspective as to how their case can be resolved, how it would be viewed by a jury.” Drawing on two decades of courtroom experience, she helps litigants realistically assess their positions, understand risk and opportunity, and approach resolution with clarity.

She also recognizes what often lies beneath prolonged disputes:

“Almost everyone really wants to settle their case. They just don’t know how.”

Through guided neutral evaluation and mediation, she creates the structure and space for parties to find common ground and move toward meaningful, durable agreements. 

At JAMS, she handles a range of disputes, including supply chain litigation, business and construction matters and cannabis-related conflicts, bringing deep judicial experience and pragmatic insight to every case.