WEBINAR DETAILS
Date: 22 June 2021
Time: 5:00 PM UTC
Duration: 60 min
Language: English
Format: Online
This webinar is over - watch on demand here
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION

United States: US Magistrate Judges on the Art of Settlement

In many district courts across the country, one of the principal duties of the magistrate judges is to conduct settlement conferences.  Some conduct more than 100 such conferences a year; thousands over the course of a career.  At JAMS, a deep bench of 35 retired magistrate judges put this experience to work for parties in dispute.

In this webinar, three retired magistrate judges—all now full-time ADR practitioners—will discuss how attorneys can best position their clients for success from the outset.  Preparation for mediation, managing client expectations and even whether parties use opening statements in mediation, are all aspects of the process that prime issues for resolution long before mediation day. In this session, participants will learn:

CORE QUESTIONS:

  • …how to prepare for mediation, including how to use opening statements to further eventual settlement goals;
  • …why it is important to think about the “endgame” right from the start;
  •  …how to effectively use caucus to manage client expectations; and,
  • …how certain closing techniques can be useful for breaking impasse

Time will be reserved for Q&A.

CLE/CPD Credit: CLE credit (legal) for a selection of states and CPD credit (accountant), please register below and complete the relevant questions at the bottom of the page to claim your credit.*

*Accreditation pending in CA, IL, MO, NY, TX

SPEAKERS
Nancy Johnson

The Honorable Nancy Johnson (Ret.) served for 30 years as a U.S. magistrate judge in Houston, Texas, before joining JAMS in September 2020. Judge Johnson has authored hundreds of opinions on most areas of federal practice, including employment, governmental agencies, insurance, commercial litigation, intellectual property, contracts, torts, civil rights and admiralty. During her time on the bench, she was known for her strong legal writing, her no-nonsense attitude and her ability to cut to the heart of a dispute. She was also a sought-after mediator, settling hundreds of cases ranging from simple employment disputes to complex business and intellectual property disputes.

Sidney Schenkier

Hon. Sidney I. Schenkier (Ret.) joined JAMS in Chicago in 2020 following over 20 years of distinguished service as a U.S. magistrate judge for the Northern District of Illinois. During his time on the bench, Judge Schenkier presided over approximately 40 jury trials, bench trials and preliminary injunction hearings, which included cases raising patent and trademark claims, employment law claims, constitutional claims, medical malpractice and other personal injury claims, trade secrets claims and other business disputes. Judge Schenkier has mediated more than 2,000 cases involving a broad array of federal and state law claims, including major class action and multidistrict litigation cases.

Donald Wilkerson

Hon. Donald G. Wilkerson (Ret.) joined JAMS in St. Louis in 2020 following over 15 years of distinguished service as a magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. During his time on the bench, Judge Wilkerson presided over thousands of matters in all stages of litigation, conducted bench trials by agreement of the parties, handled discovery disputes and conducted settlement conferences in over 1,000 cases. Judge Wilkerson is respected on both sides of the aisle for the empathy he shows toward parties to a dispute, using his interpersonal savvy to advance opportunities for settlement.

FREE News Alerts
Sign Up for our free News Alerts - All the latest articles on your chosen topics condensed into a free bi-weekly email.
Upcoming Events
MAR17
Mondaq Social Media