In Memoriam
Hon. James R. Melinson
(1939-2025)
Judge James R. Melinson (Ret.), who served as Chief United States Magistrate Judge of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania before becoming a JAMS neutral in 2004, passed away on May 6, 2025.
One of the founding members of the JAMS Philadelphia office, Judge Melinson discovered on the bench that he was a natural-born mediator with a gift for building rapport. He handled thousands of mediations in all areas of the law as a judge and during his long tenure at JAMS. He was instrumental in making JAMS Philadelphia into one of the state’s top ADR firms and he was frequently ranked as one of the “Best Individual Mediators” in Legal Intelligencer surveys.
Judge Melinson’s diverse career reveals a lifetime of public service. He served in the army after college, worked as a high school teacher and vice principal, and later received a scholarship to Temple University law school. After serving in private practice, he was appointed to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania in the late 1980s and to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 1990, where he was Chief Magistrate Judge from 1997-2004.
Judge Melinson met his wife, Monica, when he was 16 years old. They were married for 62 years and proudly raised three children who also made public service an important part of their lives. In addition to Monica, he is survived by his son Gregg and daughter Megan, eight grandchildren, and an extended family of siblings, nieces and nephews.
Judge Melinson was a towering and beloved figure at JAMS for nearly two decades, and he will be greatly missed.