The New Hampshire Superior Court Settlement Conference Pilot Program was established in early 2012 as a part of a Felony Case Flow plan for the Superior Court.

During the fall of 2014, the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program worked with the Superior Court to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program, as well as to offer insight as to how the pilot program might be improved and expanded. Currently, the Court is working with a subcommittee of stakeholders to draft a new set of procedural guidelines for the program. As the program moves forward, the Superior Court would like the attorneys and judges participating in the Felony Settlement Conference Pilot Program to receive training in how best to negotiate outcomes that meet multiple stakeholders’ interests, including participation in the Settlement Conference Program process.

Activities & Deliverables

• Work with the Superior Court and the New Hampshire Judicial Branch Office of Mediation and Arbitration to determine the type of training most beneficial for prosecutors, defense counsel, judiciary and other key stakeholders involved in the Felony Settlement Conference Pilot Program.
• Design and implement a one-day training program that will include those participating in the Felony Settlement Conference Pilot.
• Train participating prosecutors and defense counsel in how to effectively utilize the Felony Settlement Conference Pilot Program, while improving their interest-based settlement negotiation skills.
• Include participating judges in the training in a way that fosters communication and understanding between the attorneys and the judges in the Felony Settlement Conference process.