Innovation During Crisis: Mandatory Mediation Success in Allegheny County
The new rule, even though not yet fully implemented, has already shown success in bringing reluctant parties to the bargaining table. It has been praised by both litigators and neutrals alike.
April 17, 2023 at 05:00 PM
5 minute read
CommentaryThe Pennsylvania Supreme Court appointed Judge Christine A. Ward as the administrative judge of the civil division of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on Nov. 1, 2017. In the five years since, she has shepherded the civil division through unprecedented times. An average of 13,823 new civil cases were filed every year in Allegheny County since 2017, yet Ward has miraculously prevented any court backlogs—despite a worldwide pandemic and a statewide judicial emergency that shut down or inhibited normal court operations for six consecutive trial terms.
Trial lists are current. After a party files a praecipe to list their case for trial, it's not uncommon for that case to be included on the very next trial list that's published.
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