Articles

Here is a collection of legal articles by Judge Michael Marcus.

Mediation Articles

Mediation Message #175 – A Civil Problem Can Affect an Attorney’s Fees Motion
Mediation Message #174 – Don’t Record Cell or Cordless Communications Without Consent
Mediation Message #173 – Suing Clients for Fees Pursuant to Written Agreements
Mediation Message #172 – How to Analyze the Strengths and Weaknesses of a Case
Mediation Message #171 – A Mediation Checklist
Mediation Message #170 – Eleventh Annual Year-End Review
Mediation Message #169 -Thanksgiving Reflections
Mediation Message #168 -Is the “Open the Door” Principle a Fallacy?
Mediation Message #167 -The New Normal
Mediation Message #166 -The Hearsay Rule and a Re-Introduction to Evidence I
Mediation Message #165 – Unfair Competition Law and the Right to a Jury Trial In Civil Matters
Mediation Message #164 – Video Conferencing, Part 2
Mediation Message #163 – Video Conferencing
Mediation Message #162 – Speculative Expert Testimony v. Expert Qualifications
Mediation Message #161 – C.C.P. Section 998 Offers Updated
Mediation Message #160 – Year end reviews
Mediation Message #159 – Approved as to form and content clause
Mediation Message #158 – 998 Offer Invalid for Being Too Early and “Gaming the System”
Mediation Message #157 – Sanchez’s Hearsay Decision Three Years Later
Mediation Message #156 – Default Motions – Professionalism/Civility – Abuse of Discretion
Mediation Message #155 – Preparation Checklist for Mediation
Mediation Message #154 – Appearance at Mediation of Persons with Authority to Settle
Mediation Message #153 – Section 664.6 Remedy Revisited
Mediation Message #152 – Financial Status of a Party at Mediation
Mediation Message #151 – Recovering Mediation Fees After Trial
Mediation Message #150 – Ninth Annual Year-End Review
Mediation Message #149 – New Rule of Professional Conduct Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
Mediation Message #148 – Communicating With Clients – New Rule of Professional Conduct
Mediation Message #147 – A Minor Modification of Mediation Law is Enacted
Mediation Message #146 – Lawyers Must Disclose Adverse Authority to the Tribunal
Mediation Message #145 – Mediation Confidentiality Update
Mediation Message #144 – Mediator’s Wish Lists
Mediation Message #143 – Constructing a Bracket at Mediation
Mediation Message #142 – The Status of Mediation Confidentiality
Mediation Message #141 – Creating an Enforceable Section 664.6 Remedy
Mediation Message #140 – The New Tax code and Sexual Harassment or Sexual Abuse Settlements
Mediation Message #139 – Eighth Annual Year-End Review
Mediation Message #138 – “The Room Where It Happens”
Mediation Message #137 – Mediation Music: The Mediation Concert Hall
Mediation Message #136 – “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
Mediation Message #135 – “Don’t Give Up. Don’t Ever Give Up.” – Jimmy Valvano
Mediation Message #134 – Trial Courts are Gatekeepers as to Default Applications
Mediation Message #133 – Contacts with Current and Former Employees, Officers, Directors and Managing Agents
Mediation Message #132 – Negotiation Phases or Processes at Mediation
Mediation Message #131 – Basic Introductory Remarks at Mediation
Mediation Message #130 – Expert Witness Declarations and Motions for Summary Judgment
Mediation Message #129 – The Attorney-Client Privilege is Now Diminished
Mediation Message #128 – Seventh Annual Year-End Review
Mediation Message #127 – The Mediator’s Proposal, Part III
Mediation Message #126 – Exchange Mediation Briefs
Mediation Message #125 – RFAs – Important Procedural Requirements
Mediation Message #124 – Expert Testimony and the Hearsay Rule: Generalized Background Information Versus Case-Specific Facts
Mediation Message #123 – Denials of RFAs and Their Consequences
Mediation Message #122 – Binding Mediation
Mediation Message #121 – An Unusual Variation on the Joint Caucus
Mediation Message #120 – The “Empty Chair” and Settling Defendants Involvement in a Subsequent Trial
Mediation Message #119 – Avoiding Dismissal Under the Five-Year Rule
Mediation Message #118 – Expedited Jury Trials Are Mandatory for Cases Under $25,000
Mediation Message #117 – The Sixth Annual Year-End Review
Mediation Message #116 – Demurrers and Judicial Notice
Mediation Message #115 – Making and Preserving Objections to Misconduct
Mediation Message #114 – Frequent Comments by Attorneys at Mediations
Mediation Message #113 – The Limitations Period for Legal Malpractice is Extended
Mediation Message #112 – Renewed Sec. 473 Motions for Relief from Default Must Comply with Sec. 1008 Motions for Reconsideration
Mediation Message #111 – A Blueprint for Successful Mediations
Mediation Message #110 – Attorneys May Not Make Misrepresentations to the Court
Mediation Message #109 – Attorneys Should Honor Agreements with Each Other
Mediation Message #108 – Cassel is Still the Law
Mediation Message #107 – Sometimes a Judge May Say Too Much
Mediation Message #106 – Negative Responses to Requests for Admission are not Admissible
Mediation Message #105 – The Fifth Annual Year-End Review
Mediation Message #104 – Determining the Prevailing Party in CCP Section 1717 and 1032 Motions
Mediation Message #103 – Civility Part 1 – Treat Each Other with Respect
Mediation Message #102 – C.C.P. Section 128.5 is Revived
Mediation Message #101 – Admissibility of Mediation Settlment Agreements
Mediation Message #100 – Anti-SLAPP Motion is “Yelped”
Mediation Message #99 – Fee Applications and Multipliers
Mediation Message #98 – Attorney’s Fees and the Tort of Another
Mediation Message #97 – Acceptance Language in a Section 998 Offer to Compromise
Mediation Message #96 – Everything You Need to Know about C.C.P. Section 646.6
Mediation Message #95 – Enforcing Settlements Pursuant to C.C.P. Section 646.6
Mediation Message #94 – The 14-Hour Deposition Time Limitation in Complex Cases
Mediation Message #93 – The Fourth Annual Year-End Review
Mediation Message #92 – Early Settlement Demands and an Insurer’s Duty to Settle
Mediation Message #91 – What Was She Thinking?
Mediation Message #90 – Other Conduct Evidence
Mediation Message #89 – Stipulations for Judgment
Mediation Message #88 – Multiple Section 998 Settlement Offers
Mediation Message #87 – Court Congestion, Mediations and the Three-Year and Five-Year Rules
Mediation Message #86 – Judicial Admissions, Part II
Mediation Message #85 – The Fraud Exception to the Parol Evidence Rule
Mediation Message #84 – Binding Mediation
Mediation Message #83 – The Evolution of the Joint Caucus
Mediation Message #82 – The Third Annual Year-End Review
Mediation Message #81 – The Mediator’s Proposal
Mediation Message #80 – Brackets
Mediation Message #79 – Settling Rather than Going to Trial Makes Statistical Sense, Part II
Mediation Message #78 – Discuss Final Costs of Litigation with Clients Before Mediation
Mediation Message #77 – Work Product Protection of Witness Statements
Mediation Message #76 – Judge Kozinski is not a fan of mediation
Mediation Message #75 – Mediators’ Pet Peeves
Mediation Message #74 – Attorneys’ Pet Peeves
Mediation Message #73 – The Second Annual Year-End Review
Mediation Message #72 – Mediators Are Not Potted Plants
Mediation Message #71 – The Location of the Trial, Section 998 Offers and Damages
Mediation Message #70 – Settling Rather Than Going to Trial Makes Statistical Sense
Mediation Message #69 – Mediation Confidentiality Overview
Mediation Message #68 – Facebook and Federal Mediation Confidentiality
Mediation Message #67 – Be Careful What You Plead
Mediation Message #66 – The Court Stays the Course on Mediation Confidentiality
Mediation Message #65 – A Year-End Review
Mediation Message #64 – The Expedited Jury Trial Act
Mediation Message #63 – Use of Mediator Declarations in Enforcing Settlements
Mediation Message #62 – Simmons v. Ghaderi Redux
Mediation Message #61 – Trial Courts Have Limited Power to Order Mediations
Mediation Message #60 – Supreme Court May Shake Up Mediation Confidentiality
Mediation Message #59 – Timing is Everything
Mediation Message #58 – Bring Essential Documents to the Mediation
Mediation Message #57 – Mediation Confidentiality – Another Supreme Court Case is Coming
Mediation Message #56 – Compelling Mediator Testimony
Mediation Message #55 – Federal Mediation Rules Regarding Confidentiality
Mediation Message #54 – Proposed Ethical Rule Concerning Mediators and Arbitrators
Mediation Message #53 – Why Are We Here?
Mediation Message #52 – Whatever Works
Mediation Message #51 – The Mediator’s Proposal
Mediation Message #50 – Mediation “Sidebars”
Mediation Message #49 – Pre-Mediation Communications
Mediation Message #48 – A Contractual Mediation Precondition Requirement And An Award of Attorney’s Fees
Mediation Message #47 – A Guide to the Last Six Years of Mediation Messages
Mediation Message #46 – Mediation Maxims
Mediation Message #45 – Creating an Enforceable Mediation Settlement Agreement
Mediation Message #44 – Judicial Council Preliminary Draft Standards For Court-Connected Mediators
Mediation Message #43 – The Wording of a C.C.P. Section 998 Offer to Compromise
Mediation Message #42 – Approach Mediation As If It Were a Court Trial
Mediation Message #41 – Limitations on Trial Courts in Ordering Mediations
Mediation Message #40 – Fee Sharing by Attorneys With Clients in Employment Cases
Mediation Message #39 – Mediation Confidentiality Applies to Any Writing or Statement That Would Not Have Existed but for a Mediation Communication
Mediation Message #38 – Attendance, Participation Lists and Mediation Statements
Mediation Message #37 – Enforcing Mediation Agreements – part 4
Mediation Message #36 – Guidelines For Conducting the Joint Caucus
Mediation Message #35 – The Joint Caucus – When Should It Take Place?
Mediation Message #34 – Misrepresentations at Settlement v. at Mediation
Mediation Message #33 – Breaking an Impasse at Mediation
Mediation Message #32
Mediation Message #31 – Who Shall Be The Clients Representative?
Mediation Message #30 – Support People At Mediations
Mediation Message #29 – Taking Care of the Client At Mediation
Mediation Message #28 – Enforcement of Mediation Settlement Agreements – part 2
Mediation Message #27 – Why Mediations Succeed and Sometimes Do Not
Mediation Message #26 – Hospital Liens Require an Underlying Debt
Mediation Message #25 – Sometimes a Client Need Not Sign The Settlement
Mediation Message #24 – The Role of Mediators and ‘Participant’ Confidentiality
Mediation Message #23 – Tax Relief in Discrimination Cases – part 2
Mediation Message #22 – Discussing Mediation and Settlement with Clients
Mediation Message #21 – Enforcement of Mediation Settlement Agreements
Mediation Message #20 – Tax Relief in Discrimination Cases
Mediation Message #19 – Mediations and the Five-Year Rule
Mediation Message #18 – The Last-Minute Deal Breaker
Mediation Message #17 – Mediation Confidentiality Updated
Mediation Message #16 – To Brief or Not to Brief
Mediation Message #15 – Questions to Consider Before Commencing a Mediation
Mediation Message #14 – Who Goes First?
Mediation Message #13 – The Opening Offer
Mediation Message #12 – Mediation is a Dynamic Process
Mediation Message #11 – The failure to appear or cooperate at mediation
Mediation Message #10 – The “Smoking Gun”
Mediation Message #9 – Demonstrative Evidence
Mediation Message #8 – Jury Instructions
Mediation Message #7 – Appearances at Mediations
Mediation Message #6 – Recovery of Mediation Costs
Mediation Message #5 – Body Language
Mediation Message #4 – Aggregate Settlements
Mediation Message #3 – Opening Statement v. Preliminary Remarks
Mediation Message #2 – The Mediation Brief
Mediation Message #1 – Client Preparation

Arbitration Articles

Arbitration Insight #31 – A Witness Declaration Evidence Primer
Arbitration Insight #30 – Arbitrators, Without Specific Authority, Cannot Order Third Party Discovery
Arbitration Insight #29 – Arbitration of Nonsignatories – Updated
Arbitration Insight #28 – Unconscionability analysis and the arbitration of unpaid wage claims
Arbitration Insight #27 – Arbitration and Nonsignatories
Arbitration Insight #26 – Appealing an Arbitration Award
Arbitration Insight #25 – Rules of Evidence at Arbitration
Arbitration Insight #24 – You Can Never Be Too Careful
Arbitration Insight #23 – The MFAA and an Attorney’s Demand to Arbitrate the Fee Dispute
Arbitration Insight #22 – Waiver of the Right to Arbitrate
Arbitration Insight #21 – Retirement Does Not Waive Arbitration Claim
Arbitration Insight #20 – Business Representatives Cannot Be Excluded at Arbitration
Arbitration Insight #19 – Arbitrators Need Not Disclose Background Facts Irrelevant to the Cases Before Them
Arbitration Insight #18 – The Appellate Court Revisits Benjamin, Weill & Mazur v. Kors
Arbitration Insight #17 – Update concerning arbitrator disclosures of conflicts
Arbitration Insight #16 –  Appearance-of-partiality disclosures by arbitrators
Arbitration Insight #15 – Moncharsh, Armendariz and, now, Pearson dental supplies
Arbitration Insight #14 – Parties may expressly agree to judicial review of an arbitration award
Arbitration Insight #13 – Equitable defenses and written findings
Arbitration Insight #12 – The timing of an arbitrator’s discoslure obligations
Arbitration Insight #11 – The federal arbitration act and local arbitrations
Arbitration Insight #10 – The preliminary hearing
Arbitration Insight #09 – A limitations defense is for arbitrators to decide
Arbitration Insight #08 – Unconscionability in employment arbitration clauses
Arbitration Insight #07 – Three steps to a successful arbitration
Arbitration Insight #06 – Legal errors in arbitration cannot be reviews (part 2)
Arbitration Insight #05 – Arbitration award not reviewable for errors of law
Arbitration Insight #04 – Arbitration Clause Unconscionability
Arbitration Insight #03 – Trial demand after fee arbitration is strictly construed
Arbitration Insight #02 – Matters that must be disclosed by neutral arbitrators
Arbitration Insight #01 – When disclosures by neutral arbitrators are required

Other Writings

Approach Mediation Like a Court Trial
Civility Guidelines
Ethical Issues in Mediations and Arbitrations
Ethical Pitfalls for the Single or Small Office Practitioner
Mediation Ethics
Mediation – Why It Works and How to Use It Effectively