PRESIDING JUDGE ERIC C. TAYLOR ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF EARLY RESOLUTION EMPLOYMENT CASE PILOT PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL BAR ASSOCIATIONS

Effective April 1, Early Resolution Employment Case Mandatory Settlement Conference Pilot Program Will Expand to Six More IC Departments

Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor today announced the expansion of the Early Resolution Employment Case Mandatory Settlement Conference Pilot Program (pilot program) to six additional Independent Calendar (IC) courtrooms – five courtrooms at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse and one courtroom at the Alhambra Courthouse – beginning April 1. The pilot program, launched in February 2022, encourages resolution of employment cases through early virtual Mandatory Settlement Conferences (MSCs) conducted through Resolve Law LA (RLLA).

“I’d like to thank our Civil bar partners for providing the technological resources, along with the expertise and time of their members, to expand this pilot program to six additional courtrooms,” Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor said. “This pilot program is another example of the productive partnership between the Court and the Civil bar, which continues to yield creative solutions to facilitate case resolution. I also want to acknowledge Supervising Judge of Civil David J. Cowan for building these strong partnerships that lead to programs that support the Court’s mission of providing equitable and timely access to justice.”

The pilot program’s expansion includes the courtrooms of Judge Wendy Chang (Dept. 36), Judge Timothy Patrick Dillon (Dept. 73), Judge Holly J. Fujie (Dept. 56), Judge Steven J. Kleifield (Dept. 57) and Judge Elaine Lu (Dept. 26), all assigned to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, and Judge Colin Leis (Dept. 3) at the Alhambra Courthouse. The pilot program’s existing five courtrooms are Judge Monica Bachner (Dept. 71), Judge Kristin S. Escalante (Dept. 24), Judge Laura A. Seigle (Dept. 48), Judge David Sotelo (Dept. 40) and Judge Theresa M. Traber (Dept. 47), also assigned to Stanley Mosk.

RLLA is a joint effort of the Court and founding organizations Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, Los Angeles Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Beverly Hills Bar Foundation, whose members act as settlement officers. Members of the Labor and Employment Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the California Employment Lawyers Association provide additional settlement officer support and subject matter expertise for employment cases.

More information on the pilot program is available in the Court’s previously issued News Release.

Eligible cases are those that have recently been filed or are otherwise conducive to resolution prior to expensive and lengthy proceedings. Attorneys who believe their case is eligible to participate in this pilot program should confer with other counsel and be prepared to discuss whether the case is suitable for assignment to the pilot program at the initial Case Management Conference. Consideration will be given to the type of claims asserted, the size of the employer, length of employment, estimated damages, status of discovery, and early voluntary exchange of key documents and witness information.

For more information, follow the Court on Twitter (@LASuperiorCourt) and visit the Court’s website (LACourt.org).
You can see the full notice here.

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