Federal Bar Association CLE with Magistrate Judges
It was an honor to moderate and sponsor today's Federal Bar Association CLE presentation with our three spectacular West Palm Beach Division US Magistrate Judges: Hon. William Matthewman, Hon. Bruce Reinhart, and Hon. Ryon McCabe. The presentation provided a great opportunity for attorneys to learn about important issues surrounding settlement of federal lawsuits, and most importantly to hear directly from the three federal Magistrate Judges serving in West Palm Beach.
The session began with a review of the statutes, rules, and individual Judges’ practices that impact mediation and settlement conferences in the federal courts for the Southern District of Florida.
Next, each of the Magistrate Judges provided their own perspective on how they conduct mediations and settlement conferences before them. Among the many issues the Judges discussed were their own procedures and requirements for settlement conferences, how much time they are able to devote to those conferences, and questions about whether they remain assigned to cases after an unsuccessful settlement conference. The Magistrate Judges asked the attendees for their input on issues such as whether the attorneys prefer to conduct mediations in-person or online. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and we all learned a great deal about settling cases in federal court.
My heartfelt thanks to the Judges for participating, to Holland & Knight LLP for hosting the event in their beautiful office, and to the Federal Bar Association - Palm Beach Chapter Board Members: President Patricia M. Flanagan, President-Elect Andrew Loewenstein, Chapter Treasurer Brandy Galler, Chapter Secretary Hanna Rubin, and Immediate Past President Andrew Kwan. And a huge thank you to Ismail (Izzy) Ercan for helping me gather information about the WPB Judges' mediation requirements to include in the presentation.
Baldinger Mediation offers Bar accredited continuing legal education classes on mediation strategy to law firms, voluntary bar associations, and other organizations. These sessions provide valuable pro tips gleaned from Jim’s 30+ years of experience to help lawyers maximize the benefits of mediation for their clients. Contact us to schedule a CLE presentation for your organization.
