The Santa Barbara County Superior Court has officially launched a new and
innovative program that is designed to increase dispute resolution options for
litigating parties and lower their costs. CADRe (Court Administered Dispute
Resolution) offers litigants early settlement options, including mediation, neutral
evaluation, and binding arbitration.
"CADRe will result in faster, more satisfying, and less expensive solutions for citizens
in dispute," said Presiding Judge and Chair of the Appropriate Dispute Resolution
Programs Committee, Frank J. Ochoa. "The court will be more efficient and user
friendly because of CADRe," added Ochoa.
The Court has also hired Lee Jay Berman, and experienced mediator and mediation
trainer to direct the CADRe program. Prior to his appointment with the court, Mr.
Berman operated his own mediation practice in Santa Monica. He serves on the
Board of the California Dispute Resolution Council, and is the Chair of CDRC's
Qualifications and Standards Committee, which recently published Standards of
Practice for California Mediators. "CADRe is the first program of its type in Central or
Southern California, and I am excited to contribute toward its development as a model
for courts across the nation," said Berman. "The future of litigation is dependent upon
successful programs like CADRe. The Santa Barbara Superior Court recognized this
and responded in a meaningful way that should yield great results for all of its
participants," added Berman.
CADRe's establishment is the result of 18 months of planning and development by the
Superior Court's Appropriate Dispute Resolution Programs Committee. Robert
Oakes, J.D., M.B.A, a professor of law at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento
designed CADRe. "The Superior Court is to be commended for adopting the most
innovative, user friendly, and cost effective early case settlement program available,"
said Oakes. "CADRe is a model that will become the standard throughout California,
and that should make Santa Barbara very proud," concluded Oakes.
At the parties' first appearance in court, the parties and lawyers may be required to
participate in a CADRe conference, where an assessment of the case will be
conducted. The case will be evaluated for referral to an early settlement CADRe
process, such as mediation or neutral evaluation.
A fully litigated case can take in excess of two years to be resolved, but CADRe is
likely to result in settlement within 60 days after the first appearance, resulting in
substantial savings. A settlement rate between 60-80 percent is expected, and the
litigants are likely to be more satisfied with a CADRe settlement than they are with
traditional litigation.