If you are appealing a Superior Court decision, file your appeal in the Superior Court division that heard your case. If you are appealing an administrative agency case, file your appeal in the Court of Appeals, in person, by mail, or at efilehelp@dcappeals.gov and pay the filing fee by mail or in person or request waiver of the fee. For more information, please see https://www.dccourts.gov/court-of-appeals/how-to-appeal.
In most cases selected for mediation, the appellate process deadlines, such as the obligation to order the transcript and file briefs, will be put on hold until the mediation process has concluded. If the case does not settle in mediation, the appellate deadlines will start again.
Within two (2) business days
There are organizations in the community that might be able to connect you with a free lawyer to help you with your case. Click here to see a list of these legal services organizations in D.C.
Mediation is voluntary in the respect that the parties have the power to decide whether to settle the appeal and the underlying dispute.
However, the decision as to whether a party will participate in the mediation process is not voluntary. Although the attorneys for the parties to an appeal are often consulted, the decision as to whether a case is scheduled for mediation rests with the Court.
Once a case is scheduled for mediation, parties are required to attend the mediation session. It is expected that parties will participate in the process in good faith and are encouraged to use the time they spend in a mediation session productively.
Except as provided by statute, the mediator, participants in the mediation and Mediation Program staff are required to keep information relating to the mediation confidential. Participants may also share information with persons who are directly or indirectly a participant in the negotiations.
The only information that the mediator and mediation program staff may share with the court is limited to: whether mediation occurred or was terminated; whether a settlement was reached; who attended the mediation; and information contained in a written settlement agreement signed by all parties to the agreement.
Additionally, the mediator may disclose information shared during a mediation that indicates abuse, neglect, abandonment, or exploitation of an individual to a public agency responsible for protecting such individuals from such mistreatment.
No, the mediation program is a service offered by the court at no charge to the participants.
No. At this time, there is no public access research terminal at the DC Courts libraries. You may consult this list to find other local law libraries around D.C.: https://www.dcbar.org/for-lawyers/external-resources/legal-links/law-libraries
The mediator is selected by the court based on the circumstances of the individual case and the expertise of the mediator.
Appeals can be expensive and the appellate process can be lengthy. If parties are able to resolve the appeal in mediation before they are required to spend additional financial and emotional resources pursuing an appeal, they can save time and money, and avoid the anxiety generated by continuing litigation.
Litigation always involves some degree of risk to the parties because they are giving up control of their dispute and handing control over to the court. Mediation can reduce this risk by affording parties the opportunity to maintain maximum control over the outcome of their case. The parties will decide how their dispute will be resolved.
The flexibility offered by the mediation process gives parties the opportunity to craft a resolution that may not be available if the parties proceed with the appellate process. Thus, agreements reached in mediation may be more comprehensive, creative and satisfying to the parties than what might result should the court render a decision.