N.D. Fla. Loc. R. 16.3 — Mediation: the court's own rule, verbatim from LOCAL RULES UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA (Effective November 24, 2015), official PDF, sha-custodied. Court-level requirement: applies in every case before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida alongside the federal rules and any judge-specific procedures.
The Court may order the parties to mediate a civil case. The parties may agree to mediate a civil case even when the Court has not ordered them to do so. Mediation must be conducted in accordance with the Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators adopted by the Florida Supreme Court, except as otherwise ordered, but this sentence does not apply to a settlement conference—even if called “mediation”—conducted by a district or magistrate judge. Everything said during a mediation or settlement conference—other than the terms of any settlement agreement itself—is confidential and inadmissible as a settlement negotiation.
The Court may order the parties to mediate a civil case. The parties may agree to mediate a civil case even when the Court has not ordered them to do so. Mediation must be conducted in accordance with the Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators adopted by the Florida Su