4th Dist. Settlement programs

Today's DJ has a letter from 4/2's Settlement Conference Administrator, Jackie Hoar, responding to the DJ article titled Civil Appeals Mediation Program Debuts in the 4th District, making a few factual corrections to "set the record straight":

• First, and most importantly, there has been a very active mediation program at the Fourth District since 1991; specifically, in Division Two, in Riverside. In fact, the program was honored in 1997 with the Ralph N. Kleps Award for Improvement in the Administration of the Court as the first all-volunteer attorney-mediated, mandatory appellate settlement program in the state of California. Therefore, to entitle the article, “Civil Appeals Mediation Program Debuts [emphasis added] in 4th District” is, I believe, misleading.
• I realize the article focused on Division One as being the first appellate court to offer mediation through the TAJP Civil Mediation Program, and I applaud the court for its innovative use of that program. However, I believe it would have been beneficial and appropriate to recognize other mediation programs in the state courts of appeal that offer the same service “at no cost to the parties or the court,” as does Division Two.
• Since its inception in 1991, Division Two has utilized volunteer attorney mediators who donate 100% of their time at no cost to the parties or the court. This has resulted in over 5,000 pro bono hours being expended by our volunteer attorney mediators.