Before the settlement conference, which is generally held thirty to sixty days before trial, each party provides the magistrate judge with a concise description of claims, defenses, and trial evidence. The magistrate judge determines the timing of the conference, whether the parties must attend, and whether the conference will be conducted by telephone or in person. Conferences generally take one to two hours, and there may be several follow-up telephone conferences. At the conclusion of the process, the magistrate judge files a report indicating only whether settlement occurred. No local rules have been enacted for this experimental program.
Authorization is provided in each referral order.
Approximately ninety cases were referred to magistrate judge settlement conferences between January and September 1994. Of note Information from court. The court is preparing a brochure that will identify private ADR resources available to litigants.