In the Spring 2019 edition of the Virginia Bar Association Journal, appellate attorney John O’Herron authored an article on Virginia’s offering of a formal appellate mediation program. From the article:
The rise of alternative dispute resolution in the Commonwealth of Virginia continues. The first of this year, Virginia joined many of its sister states in offering a formal appellate mediation program. A June 2018 announcement from Chief Justice Donald W. Lemons approved pilot projects in both the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Court of Appeals of Virginia. The pilot projects will run for two years and are entirely voluntary. As the chief justice stated, “No case will be required to be mediated; rather, we are simply offering a creative alternative to those who want it.”
You can read the full article here: Pilot Projects in Appellate Mediation Begin