The court has not addressed this issue. The arbitration program is handled by the clerk's office. A district judge serves as liaison judge. Mediation in Texas Western Overview Description and authorization. Under Local Rule CV-88, the Western District of Texas established broad authorization to use ADR procedures, including mediation.
Referral is made at any time that seems appropriate for the case.
A single attorney-mediator meets with the parties to try to reach settlement and may conduct additional meetings if necessary. The mediator offers no evaluation of the case. The parties pay the fee set by the neutral and may appeal to the court if they think the fee charged is unreasonable. Several magistrate judges have received training in mediation and are available for use in cases involving indigent parties. Number of cases.