Three of the 220 mediators serving the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York were presented this month with the court's James Duane Award for outstanding service to a program that handles some 1,400 cases a year.

Steve Bierman was recognized for his commitment to handling a diverse kind of case—from ADA Title III to complex commercial matters—and his assistance with policy for the program. Carmen Rodriguez was recognized for handling a contentious case with pro se litigants on both sides, one out of the country, that required bilingual mediation. Jay Zelermyer was recognized for his long service on the Mediator Advisory Committee and for his completion of a multi-party mediation in which the plaintiffs were represented by counsel who committed suicide in the midst of the mediation.