A party who moves to amend a pleading, document or other papers shall attach the
original of the amendment to the motion. Any amendment to a pleading, document
or other papers, whether filed as a matter of course or upon a motion to amend,
must, except by leave of Court, reproduce the entire pleading, document or other
papers as amended, and may not incorporate any prior pleading, document or other
papers by reference. A failure to comply with this rule is not grounds for denial of
the motion.
Local rule 16.1
Court Annexed Mediation.
(a) Purpose. This Court has established a program of voluntary mediation to assist
litigants in resolving their disputes prior to trial. The Court stresses that mediation is
completely voluntary and confidential. The Court strictly enforces the confidentiality
of mediation. The Court encourages litigants to consider the salutary benefits of
resolving their dispute at an early stage through voluntary mediation.
(b) Nature of Mediation. Mediation is a process of confidential negotiation through
which parties may often achieve results which could not be obtained through
submission of their case to a jury. Successful mediation saves the substantial time
and expense involved with a trial. Successful mediation allows parties to alleviate the
risk of trial and at the same time permits the parties to play an active role in the final
decision about their case. The mediation process generally involves a joint meeting
with all parties and counsel to discuss the case and each side's position. After this
meeting, the mediator will meet with each side individually for a full discussion of
that side's case. Throughout the process, the goal of the mediator is to assist the
parties in negotiating a settlement. Often the mediator will provide to the parties a
frank, honest opinion about the strengths and weaknesses of their case. Frequently,
an objective viewpoint assists parties in making good decisions about settlement.
