State of California, et al v. Alex Azar, II, et al

Filing 1

DOCKETED CAUSE AND ENTERED APPEARANCES OF COUNSEL. SEND MQ: Yes. The schedule is set as follows: to be set. Preliminary Injunction Appeal. C.R. 3-3. [10767933] (RT) [Entered: 02/16/2018 03:05 PM]

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CHAMBERS OF

SIDNEY

R.

THOMAS

CHIEF JUDGE

December l, 2014

T EL: [phone]
FAX: [phone]

Dear Counsel:
I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Court's mediation
program. The court offers you and your clients professional mediation services, at
no cost, to help resolve disputes quickly and efficiently and to explore the
development of more satisfactory results than can be achieved from continued
litigation. Each year the mediators facilitate the resolution of hundreds of cases,
from the most basic contract and tort actions to the most complex cases involving
multiple parties, numerous pieces of litigation and important issues of public policy.
The eight circuit mediators, all of whom work exclusively for the court, are
highly experienced attorneys from a variety of practices; all have extensive training
and experience in negotiation, appellate mediation, and Ninth Circuit practice and
procedure. Although the mediators are court employees, the Court has adopted
strict confidentiality rules and practices to ensure that what goes on in mediation
stays in mediation. See Circuit Rule 33-1.
The first step in the mediation process is case selection. To assist the
mediators in the case selection process, appellants/petitioners must file a completed
Mediation Questionnaire within 7 days of the docketing of the case. See Circuit
Rules 3-4, and 15-2. Appellees may also fill out and file a questionnaire. The
questionnaire with filing instructions accompanies this letter and is also available at
www.ca9.uscourts.gov/mediation/forms.php. All counsel are also invited to submit,
by e-mail to [e-mail], additional, confidential information
that might assist the mediators in the case selection process.

Page 2
In most cases, the mediator will schedule a settlement assessment conference,
with counsel only, to determine whether the case is suitable for mediation. Please be
assured that participation in the mediation program will not slow down disposition of
your appeal. Mediation discussions are not limited to the issues on appeal. The
discussions can involve other cases and may include individuals who are not parties
to the litigation, if doing so enables the parties to reach a global settlement.
Further information about the mediation program may be found on the
court's website: www.ca9.uscourts.gov/mediation/. Please address questions directly
to the Mediation Unit at 4.15-355-7900 or [e-mail].
Our mediators do a terrific job. I hope you'll give them the opportunity to
work on your case.

Sincerely,

~(L~
Sidney R. T'homas
Chief Circuit] udge